After receiving my certification in Reiki II, I wanted to gain a better understanding of where Reiki comes from and how it works together with the other energies of the body. I could feel this amazing energy flowing from my hands into other people, but I wanted to know how it was having such a profound effect on people. I found my answer in The Spirit of Reiki, in chapter 7, written by Walter Lubeck. Here is a summary and my interpretation of how all the energies of the body interrelate and why Reiki is so effective.

In the Japanese language, the word "ki", is the general term to describe all of the life energies. What I discovered is that there are 7 different forms of ki that work to together as a system to regulate the mind and body. These 7 energies build upon each other, each containing different aspects of control and power. The seven energies are as follows.

1. Kekki
2. Shioke
3. Mizuke
4. Kuki
5. Denki
6. Jiki
7. Reiki

Kekki has the greatest power but the least amount of ability to organize. At the other end, Reiki has the greatest ability to organize, but a limited ability to directly effect without the lower level energies. Think of it as the lower energies being all of the workers on the production floor and the Reiki being the management. The workers are greater in numbers and power, but without organization and delegation from the management, your system would not work.  

Here is a brief description of each individual energy.

1. Kekki - nourishing strength
Kekki is akin to blood and is associated with the 1st chakra. It is the clay from which organs and tissues of the body are molded. In its pure form, it has no structure. It requires delegation from the higher energies. This energy is created through nourishment. Whether it be through food or human interaction, kekki is being created.  When kekki is directed and formed into a new process, it is transformed into a higher energy. Kekki is the vital powering force of the body, but needs direction. It receives is direction from the following energy.

2. Shioke - binding structure
Shioke is the glue that holds the kekki together. Think of Kekki as the bricks and shioke as the mortar that keeps the bricks standing. Shioke energy is gathered from a sense of purpose. By accepting our earthly existence as meaningful, we give our structure a purpose to remain standing. If shioke is destroyed, the kekki contained within it is free to leave and nourish another structure.  Shioke is also associated with the 1st chakra. In order to fulfill its purpose of existence, it requires meaningful interactions with other people (kekki). This is why people tend to surround themselves with like minded individuals, other people who live with a similar purpose.

3. Mizuke - energy of emotions and relationships
Mizuke allows us to come together as physical beings and experience emotions. It is considered the "ki of water" and is associated with the 2nd chakra. It is the force of relationships and devotion. This energy is created when we accept that we each contribute in our own creative way in the eternal dance of life. Consider Mizuke as the city planner. It takes the brick(kekki) and mortar(shioke) buildings and plots their locations where they can best serve one another. With out mizuke, the structures would become isolated as they are not mobile by themselves. Think of your life with out the help of your relationships with other people to move it along. In order for the relationships to become lasing, meaningful experiences, mizuke must be shown the way by kuki.

4 Kuki - self-fulfillment
Kuki is about growing and becoming conscious of the self. It is called the "ki of the gasses" and is associated with the 3rd chakra. This energy is created when we accept who we are and use our individuality to shape our lives. Kuki gives us the motivation to choose our path in life and experience who we are. It also keeps us on course when other people try to divert us from our path by creating boundaries. Kuki could be likened to the imaginary lines that divide cities and countries. Countries have different goals and sets of rules and in order to thrive they create boundaries so people living within them can establish a direction in which they all want to go. In order for the individual needs to be mutually beneficial to the collective, denki is needed.

5. Denki - considerate growth
As we are on our paths to self fulfillment, we need to be conscious of the other people around us who are trying to accomplish the same thing. Denki is an energy that brings consideration of others. It is called the "ki of thunder" and is associated with the 4th chakra. It is associated with thunder because after the initial fear of the loud "crack", a calming effect follows that allows us to act in an ethical and considerate manner. If we were to dismiss the thunder as harmless, we would not benefit from the full effect of denki. Many would call our initial reaction to the thunder fear, but that feeling comes from self-preservation, which comes from loving what we are. This is denki. We cultivate this energy when we realize that our own growth should not come at a cost to another being. Denki produces feelings of love, empathy, and tolerance. You can think of denki as the United Nations. The U.N.'s original intended purpose was to act as a governing body that would keep the peace between all developing nations. The next energy is needed to keep development from becoming stagnant by becoming to integrated with the community.

6. Jiki - the teacher
Jiki is the law of attraction in action. It is the force that magnetically pulls the people and situations into your life for your highest good and learning. We cultivate this energy by accepting the meaningful challenges that come from our lasting relationships and everyday situations. If we resist, we are working against jiki and we will be forced to repeat this lesson until we accept it, learn from it, and evolve. This is our only responsibility in this world. Trusting our inner teacher that pulls our lessons towards us over and over again.  Jiki is associated with the 5th chakra and is called the "gathering force. As far as structures and governing bodies are concerned, the next step up from the U.N. is the universe. Jiki is the universe acting in mysterious ways to teach us lessons. For all of these energies there must be something that provides homeostasis or balance to the entire system, a controlling force on the highest level.   
 
7. Reiki - spiritual power
Reiki is the energy that organizes all of the previous structures. It is translated to the "divine creative force" or the "source of all life". It aligns the inner child, middle, and higher self. It creates an order in which all 3 personalities are operating as one rather than working against each other. It is literally the God energy that has an understanding far beyond anything we can conceive. There are so many things going on in our bodies that keep us alive that we are not even consciously aware of. Where do you think  that management is coming from? Our heart beats, cell production, breathing(at times), healing, the list goes on. Reiki is an aid to all these processes. It aligns our being and brings us closer to the Source. Reiki is associated with the 6th chakra.
  • Reiki connects without binding
  • Reiki stimulates without overexciting
  • Reiki separates without causing isolation
  • Reiki calms without causing rigidity
  • Reiki directs our attention to life and love in the heart
  • Reiki creates clarity without a lack of involvement
  • Reiki wakes us up and supports the development of all latent potentials
After reading this material and writing about it, I have a far better understanding about how and why Reiki works. I hope whoever is reading this does as well.