I Tried Gwyneth Paltrow's Post-Conscious Uncoupling Energy Healing Treatment

By Megan Cahn

I have a hard time sitting still. I'm always fidgeting, crossing and uncrossing my legs, too full of nervous energy. I am also prone to anxiety-my mind often races with the stress of the day (the endless work e-mails, the state of my relationship, bills to pay, not enough time to get it all done, etc., etc.,). So what if, instead of talk therapy, pills, or even exercise, I could cure my anxiety simply by laying perfectly still?

RELATED: What Gwyneth Paltrow's 'Conscious Uncoupling' Really Means

Reiki, a Japanese treatment in which a healer channels energy through their hands into the body by placing them on different chakra areas, claims to do just that. I grew up in a hippie town nestled in the mountains outside of San Francisco where our local businesses included numerous crystal shops and a clothing store called Culture Shock, so I am no stranger to alternative medicine and holistic health. But Reiki struck me as unique because it is not about healing the body, but healing the soul-therapy without words.

Reiki was developed in Japan around the turn of the century and has been practiced regularly in the States since the 1980s, though over the last two years it's been gaining popularity. After Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin's "conscious uncoupling" heard round the Internet, Paltrow was photographed leaving a Reiki session. The goal of this practice is to reach a joyful state of mind, and like Paltrow, many women who are emotionally struggling are gravitating toward Reiki instead of, or in addition to traditional therapy.

I first heard about Reiki from a friend in Los Angeles who was in the midst of separating from her live-in boyfriend. "I started going to heal myself emotionally from a series of things, but mostly to help with a breakup and dealing with loss in general," she told me. "After, I feel rejuvenated and happy. It helps just knowing I am doing something proactive."

RELATED: How Seeing A Male Psychologist Changed The Therapy Game For Me

I may not be going through a breakup, but I'm holding onto things from my past. Plus, I'm looking for a healthy way to deal with stress and anxiety. So I headed to Reiki Vitae to meet with Gianantonio Corna, a Reiki master who is surprisingly youthful for someone who's been practicing for 14 years. On my way to his Soho studio, I began to question what I signed up for (laying still and letting someone touch me for 90 minutes!?!), but when Corna greeted me at the door dressed in white linen, his calming energy was immediately palpable. He spoke to me with a gentle voice and hands full of motion, illuminating his Italian heritage and the power he has at his fingertips.

Growing up in Italy, Corna's father had the healing touch, and at the age of eight it was obvious he had inherited his gift. He first worked in Italy, but moved to New York and started Reiki Vitae in 2011. He calls his practice "a reboot for your being." On his website, he asks "Do you feel like history repeats itself when it comes to your love life?" Corna's clients are 95 percent women from the ages of 25 to 40. They come from all different fields and backgrounds, but usually share a common frustration about love. Corna believes he can use Reiki to reset their patterns.

Corna recommends that his clients go to nine sessions (priced at $288 for 90 minutes and $225 for 60). I opted for three. After I lay down on the massage table facing up with my eyes closed, Corna instructed me to breath in and out and bring my attention to the tip of my nose. Then it was silence-no guided Shavasana-like meditation, just his hands ever-so-lightly placed on my head, my chest, my stomach, and the seven chakra locations. As he worked, my whole body was taken over by a static buzz that seemed golden underneath my eyelids. Over the hour-and-a-half I flip-flopped from a dream-like state (fantastical scenarios, like the ceiling opening up to let the sky in, popped into my mind) to feeling claustrophobic from not being able to open my eyes, to almost falling asleep only to be jerked awake by an intense leg twitch, all the while trying to bat away outside thoughts.

RELATED: The Busy Girl's Guide To Meditation

Corna spent the most time above my heart and on my abdomen. As his hands rested on my belly, they took on a vacuum-like presence and warmth, and I felt like something was being sucked out of me. When the session was over, I felt so heavy it was hard to sit up. I was assured this was completely normal, as were the twitches, as was the sucking sensation. Some people feel that, while others feel waves.

After a session, Corna speaks with his clients about their energy, and they are often surprised that he has figured out their issues without them saying a thing. The reason he spent the most time on my stomach is because that's where he felt the energy was blocked. People harbor the feelings of fear in their gut, which causes anxiety. Bingo! My digestive temperature was very cold, so he suggested that I eat cooked food and that I use warming almond or jojoba oils on my skin. Corna also practices Tibetan naturopathy, which he uses to recommend such lifestyle changes and mindfulness exercises to his clients. He suggested that I avoid caffeine and loud music, go to bed earlier, and breath in and out counting one to seven and seven to one before I fall sleep and when I am feeling stressed.

RELATED: 25 Ways To Sleep Better Tonight

When he explained to me why he was making these suggestions, I nodded and said "That makes sense." He smiled back at me, "I love that statement. It's beautiful. My favorite thing about New Yorkers is that when you explain something like an energy reading to them, they are so open-minded. My clients in Italy will say 'I don't know, maybe.' But here, they immediately say, 'That makes sense.' That's a really huge opening that can help the healing process."

Whether it was talking to Corna, the energy that he channeled into my body, or like my friend said, just being proactive about a problem, after leaving, I felt lighter and more aware of my body and mind. I didn't feel like a changed person, but a person that had the potential to change and even the tools to do so. Since I completed my Reiki sessions, I have not given up salad, coffee, and probably still go to bed too late, but I have continued to do my breathing exercises and things do seem to make a little more sense.

More from ELLE:
Why Guys Prefer Text-lationships To Real Ones
I Tried A Model-Approved, Body-Resetting Plan For A Month
In Defense Of Gwyneth Paltrow's GOOPy Breakup