Gwyneth Paltrow And Chris Martin "Consciously Uncouple": Does This Mean A Divorce?

Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin have shocked their fans by announcing their split after ten years of marriage. The news, which was announced via Gwyneth's lifestyle blog GOOP, is said to be the sad result after a year of trying to work it out. It is with hearts full of sadness that we have decided to separate," they wrote.

Chris Martin & Gwyneth Paltrow Announce A "Conscious Uncoupling."

"We have been working hard for well over a year, some of it together, some of it separated, to see what might have been possible between us, and we have come to the conclusion that while we love each other very much we will remain separate," the Anglo-American couple added. They moved on to stress that they wouldn't fall out of each other's lives due to their need to be the best parents to their children, Moses, 7, and Apple, 9.

"In many ways we are closer than we have ever been," they said, adding "We are parents first and foremost, to two incredibly wonderful children [...] We have always conducted our relationship privately, and we hope that as we consciously uncouple and coparent, we will be able to continue in the same manner." The Coldplay musician and the Iron Man actress then shared a beautiful photo of them sitting in a field before posting a long essay on "Conscious Uncoupling" written by academics.

The Couple Chose An Amicable Split To Help Heal & Protect Their Children.

The couple didn't mention the D-word in their journal post but the essay immediately begins "Divorce is a traumatic and difficult decision for all parties involved-and there's arguably no salve besides time to take that pain away." The essay then tries to explain what "conscious uncoupling" is: "If we can recognize that our partners in our intimate relationships are our teachers, helping us evolve our internal, spiritual support structure, we can avoid the drama of divorce and experience what we call a conscious uncoupling.

"A conscious uncoupling is the ability to understand that every irritation and argument was a signal to look inside ourselves and identify a negative internal object that needed healing." It appears that Martin and Paltrow are planning to divorce, but seemingly in a way that is not disruptive to their family, and helps them heal and learn from their relationship issues.

Gwyneth Has Been Working Hard On Her Lifestyle Website & Book This Past Year.

For many who deride the 41 year-old actress and her carefully controlled, wholesome image, this phraseology will just be further ammunition that the wellbeing enthusiast is trying to preach a message. For others, the news that the rarely photographed couple are going about their split amicably will be welcomed in favour of the often car crash scenarios that accompany a high-profile A-lister split.

Want proof that Chris and Gwyn plan to split as friends? The Coldplay star bought Gwyneth a painting as a parting present to mark the ''new stage'' in their lives. The artwork is said to show a "bird in flight," painted by Mila Fürstová, the creator of the artwork for the band's sixth studio album Ghost Stories.

More: Gwyneth Paltrow was described as "Kim Jong-Un" by Vanity Fair recently - find out why.

More: Upon the release of Ghost Stories, Coldplay released haunting new electro song 'Midnight' - click to listen.

Watch Gwyneth Paltrow in the 'Thanks for Sharing' trailer: