NEW YORK, March 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Gaiam, Inc., the leading distributor of lifestyle media, announced today the release of Rodney Yee's A.M. & P.M. Yoga for Beginners, a remake that updates the original routines and incorporates meditation into the practices.

The new A.M. & P.M. Yoga for Beginners DVD features two workouts to strengthen, balance and revitalize mind and body.  Rodney leads the A.M. practice, guiding practioners through a series of energizing poses to help wake up the body and focus the mind, while his wife, Colleen Saidman, leads the P.M. practice designed to help users wind down at the end of a busy day.  The DVD also provides meditation practices for both the morning and evening - ideal for enhancing each practice.

"I teamed up with Gaiam to create this new DVD for two main reasons," says Rodney.   "First, to provide an updated practice for all the fans of the original A.M. & P.M. Yoga DVD, and secondly, to introduce yoga to a new audience looking for both a beginner program and a complete experience from movement to meditation."

"The original A.M. & P.M. Yoga  remains one of Gaiam's most popular yoga DVDs of all time and so we were thrilled to have both Rodney and Colleen develop this new version," says Bill Sondheim, president of Gaiam. "Shot on the unspoiled coastline of Molokai, this DVD represents what Gaiam is known for – breathtaking locales coupled with the very best instruction."

A.M. & P.M. Yoga for Beginners features the following two workouts, plus 2 downloadable meditation practices:

• A.M. Energize (25 minutes)
  Wake up with the gentle waves of the ocean and follow along with Rodney Yee as he presents an A.M. practice to center and balance the body while providing focus and energy.
• P.M. Unwind (25 minutes)
  Shake off the burdens of the day and release tension with Colleen's evening practice.  This restorative P.M. practice will help transition from the business of the day to a peaceful, restful evening.
• Bonus Download: Mindful Meditations (10 minutes)
  Experience two very different meditations, one for the morning and one for the evening.  Learn to breathe, relax and take control of your life.

Rodney Yee's A.M. and P.M. Yoga for Beginners has an approximate runtime of 50 minutes and a suggested retail price of $14.98.  The DVD will be available beginning March 6, 2012 in stores and online.

About Rodney Yee
Rodney Yee, based in New York City, is one of the most sought-after yoga instructors in the world. Rodney Yee's Yoga for Beginners ranks among the top ten best-selling fitness DVDs. For over 15 years, he has taught advanced yoga training courses across the country. Yee is a former gymnast and ballet dancer with the Oakland Ballet Company and the Matsuyama Ballet Company and studied philosophy and physical therapy at the University of California Davis and Berkeley. Yee has appeared on Oprah, the PBS special "The Practical Power of Yoga," and contributes to a variety of yoga and healthy lifestyle publications including Yoga Journal, Self, Shape and Fitness.

About Colleen Saidman
Colleen Saidman, a graduate of the Jivamukti Yoga teacher training program with David Life and Sharon Gannon, has been teaching since 1998. Co-owner of Yoga Shanti, an East End yoga studio in Sag Harbor, New York, she has been featured in both the New York Times and New York magazine, and has appeared on the cover of Yoga Journal. She also conducts yoga workshops, often with Rodney Yee, who remains her principal teacher.

A consummate student, Colleen Saidman has traveled throughout Europe and Asia studying alternative medicine and spiritual healing. She holds certification in shiatsu and has lived in Calcutta, India, working with Mother Theresa at the Home of the Destitute and Dying. In recent years, she and Rodney Yee helped to create, and now co direct Urban Zen's Integrative Yoga Therapist Program, a worldwide initiative founded by Donna Karan.
 
Rodney and Colleen are married and live together in Long Island, NY, where they are raising and being raised by four awesome children, Evan, Adesha, Rachel, and Johanna.

About GAIAM
Gaiam, Inc. (Nasdaq: GAIA) is a leading producer and marketer of lifestyle media and fitness accessories.  With a wide distribution network that consists of 62,000 retail doors, over 14,400 store within stores, a digital distribution platform and more than 10 million direct customers, Gaiam is dedicated to providing solutions for the many facets of healthy and eco-conscious living. The company dominates the health and wellness category and releases non-theatrical programming focused on family entertainment and conscious media. In addition Gaiam has exclusive licensing agreement with Discovery Communications and other licensing partners.  For more information about Gaiam, please visit www.gaiam.com or call 1.800.869.3603. 

Media Contact:
Lauren Aboulessan
Krupp Kommunications
(212) 886-6710
LAboulessan@kruppnyc.com

SOURCE Gaiam, Inc.