The first time  I fastened skis to my feet and headed downhill from the top of a mountain, I was afraid. My fright grew the faster I slid. The maneuvers I’d learned while practicing on the bunny hill weren’t working on the steep hill. I needed help. To regain control, I decided to tip over and crash, which I managed to do without harm. I then sought the advice of an experienced skier nearby, who showed me how to stop on steep terrain. Skiing suddenly became more fun!

My fledgling ski run taught me a valuable lesson about retaining control of the body. When reeling down the mountain with flailing arms and wayward skis, I looked and felt out of control. But I was not out of control; I was acting out of fear and ignorance. What I needed was a thought adjustment. When I replaced fear and ignorance with an understanding of how to maneuver my skis for better results, the picture of an out-of-control skier vanished. I was exercising dominion over my body.

The same lesson applies to other times the body feels out of control. If an organ functions erratically, blood pressure rises too high, muscles twitch, or disease appears, we might feel that our body is out of control. But in truth, the body is never out of control. It manifests whatever state of thought is governing it. If fear is ruling thought, the body may tense up and conditions may feel unpredictable. If calm prevails, dominion is easier to establish. The body responds to thought the way a car responds to a driver. When the gas pedal is pressed to the floor, the car speeds up. If the brakes are applied, the car slows down. If a driver’s attention drifts, the car drifts. As a car is directed by the orders it is given, so is the body.