NEW YORK, Dec. 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Gaiam, Inc., the leading distributor of lifestyle media, announced today the release of Colleen Saidman's "Yoga for Weight Loss" DVD. In her first solo DVD with Gaiam, Saidman, the wife of the acclaimed yoga teacher Rodney Yee, and the owner and director of Yoga Shanti studio in Sag Harbor, New York, provides practitioners with a program that will help them reach their weight-loss goals and foster a healthy mind-body connection.

"Yoga for Weight Loss" focuses on changing the practitioner's mindset so that they will truly understand their bodies and make smart food and lifestyle choices. By combining muscle-toning poses, aerobic movements, breathing exercises, restorative poses, and meditation, Saidman has created a unique program that slims the body and focuses the mind for optimum health and wellness.

Saidman, who is also the co-director of the Donna Karan's Urban Zen Integrative Therapy (UZIT) Program and a model with Ford Models for 30 years, developed "Yoga for Weight Loss" to provide an intelligent, holistic approach that also teaches viewers how to apply aspects of the practice to other areas of their lives. "This DVD is designed to approach weight loss by bettering one's health rather than depriving oneself," Saidman says. "Weight loss does not simply occur from eating less and burning more calories; it involves other factors such as, surprisingly, proper relaxation. When you tune into your body in a relaxed and mindful way, you stop making unhealthy choices. As a result, you'll not only lose the extra pounds, but also feel more calm, relaxed, and alert."

"Yoga for Weight Loss" features three 20-minute practices that burn calories and increase strength, flexibility, balance, and focus to maintain a healthy mind and body.  They include:

• Total Body Flow (20 minutes) – Burns calories, tones muscles, and uses the breath to create a mind-body connection which promotes focus and clarity.

• Whittle Your Middle (20 minutes) – Incorporates postures that focus on toning the core muscles, which consist of the abdominals, the laterals, and the back muscles of the waist area to burn excess fat and gain control and confidence.

• De-stress, revitalize – features a slow flow, focusing on forward-bend poses, that promotes a deep state of relaxation. This section will improve the quality of sleep, which has been proven to be essential to sustainable weight loss.

"We are thrilled to present consumers with Colleen's new DVD," says Bill Sondheim, president of Gaiam. "Losing or maintaining a healthy weight remains an important issue for many people, and we are excited to offer Colleen's fresh perspective on how to achieve results both inside and out."

Colleen Saidman's "Yoga for Weight Loss" has an approximate runtime of 60 minutes and a suggested retail price of $14.98. The DVD will be available beginning December 4, 2012 in stores nationwide and online at Amazon.com.

About Colleen Saidman
Colleen Saidman began practicing yoga in 1987, while using yoga as a compliment to her extreme athletic endeavors such as running, boxing, step aerobic classes, and basketball. In 1994, she suffered a back injury that led to surgery, and from that point on, yoga has been her entire regimen to which she is fully devoted, and believes it continues to heal her on so many levels. She graduated from Jivamukti's Teaching Training program in 1998 and has been teaching ever since. With her husband, Rodney Yee, they have developed a variety of yoga DVDs. In addition, they helped create and now co-direct Urban Zen's Integrative Yoga Therapist Program, a world-wide initiative of Donna Karan. Today, Saidman owns and directs the Yoga Shanti yoga studio in the Hamptons and conducts teacher trainings and retreats worldwide. In addition, Colleen has been featured in Vanity Fair, The New York Times, USA today, New York magazine, Oprah, Marie Claire, and Allure, and has been on the cover of Yoga Journal, Fit Yoga and Natural Health. She is featured in the PBS special called The Practical Power of Yoga and has been a guest on "Good Morning America."

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 over 60,000 retail doors, close to 15,000 store within stores, 5,600 media category management locations, a digital distribution platform and more than 10 million direct customers, Gaiam is dedicated to providing solutions for 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. 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.