Control, control, you must learn control...

Control is the key in any Jedi's life. Control of themselves must first be achieved if they are ever to control the force or someone else. This technique is in three parts, each must be completed before the next is begun. The first is concerned with clearing your mind, in effect controlling your thoughts. The second deals with the amount of time it takes to get your mind clear, while the third covers controlling your body. Each of these tasks will be ones that are practiced everyday of your life.

Part 1: Clearing your mind

This is a rather simple technique, yet difficult to describe or do. What you need to achieve through it is to stop any thoughts going through your mind at any one time. Your mind must be blank. To do this I can simply 'turn off' my mind, but it took a long time to achieve. I began this technique by visualising a blank screen in my head. That's all. Concentrate on the blackness and don't let anything else in. Think of nothing. In time other thoughts will try to find their way in, but don't let them. You'll have to fight them back, but when you do, don't think about fighting back, that would mean you're thinking of something. You have to just clear them from your mind. Once you can clear your mind for at least seven minutes, you should be ready to continue, but remember, you will need to practice this technique for the rest of your life.

Clearing your mind can help you in many areas. It will help in meditation and times when you need a clear head to think, like times of panic. It is also a good defense against people reading or probing your mind. If you're not thinking of something, then it makes it a lot harder for them to enter your mind.

Part 2: Speed

It is important to be able to achieve a clear state of mind, but when action is called for it is most important to quickly clear your mind. For example, you may need to clear your mind as a defense. I think you would agree that you would want your mind clear ASAP, but if it takes you ten minutes to clear your mind, then it doesn't do you much good. At any one time you have thousands of thoughts going through your mind; in the next instant, you need to have your mind clear. That is how you know you have completed this task. To achieve this, you must simply practice the first task, but instead of having your mind clear for a long time, work on the amount of time it takes to actually clear your mind. Practice, practice, practice is the key.

Part 3: Body Control

Another technique that is hard to teach. Like the previous one, it deals with a lot of will power. Your will power can be strengthened by the force by simply connecting with it and focusing on the task you want to achieve. This technique is concerned with controlling any body movements or functions.

Remember, your mind controls your body, and from the previous tasks, you now control your mind, and therefore, your body. You simply have to control your mind and tell it NOT to do what it is going to do. The possibilities for this are endless. It can be used to stop pain, control balance, control muscle or reflexes. Anything your body can do, can be controlled by this technique.

This is also a technique that will take a long time to master. I suggest keeping it in mind as you go about your daily business and use it when