Gaiam and Trudie Styler Create DVDs in Tuscany
Trudie Styler and Celebrity Trainer James D'Silva to Star in Series of Mind Body Fitness DVDs
NEW YORK, July 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Gaiam, Inc., the leading distributor of lifestyle media and fitness accessories, today announced that it will produce a series of mind body fitness DVDs with Trudie Styler, the actress, producer, and environmental campaigner.
She will be joined in DVD workouts that combine elements of yoga, Pilates and ballet with traditional exercises by celebrity fitness trainer James D'Silva, who trained as a ballet dancer in his native Goa. He specializes in workout regimes to increase flexibility, strengthen and tone muscles, and improve posture.
The programs are filmed on location at Il Palagio, the Tuscan villa Styler shares with her husband Sting, and will feature music from Sting's #1 classical album of 2006, "Songs From the Labyrinth," plus extensive bonus material.
The first two DVDs will launch in October 2009, the third in December 2009, and two more DVDs and Myofascial Release kit in 2010. Each DVD will reflect elements of Styler and Sting's philosophy on eco-friendly living.
"Trudie Styler embodies Gaiam's lifestyle message of good health, wellness, and sustainability," said Lynn Powers, CEO of Gaiam, Inc. "Her dedication to a personal lifestyle that focuses on health, the environment and social responsibility serves as an example for all."
Trudie Styler said, "I have enjoyed yoga, Pilates and dance over the years and I certainly feel I have benefited from the integrated mind body experience they offer. It's exciting that through Gaiam, James D'Silva and I are able to introduce these routines to others. I hope they will derive as much pleasure and benefit from them as I have done."
The DVDs will feature Styler and D'Silva performing various mind body fitness routines, in the setting of the Il Palagio estate in Tuscany. They will also contain interviews with Styler, Sting and D'Silva covering thoughts on the environment, music and several of Sting's songs.
"These new DVDs will combine fitness, aesthetics, and artistry designed to enhance the spirit of the workouts," said Gaiam President of Entertainment and World Wide Distribution, William S. Sondheim. "Additional bonus segments will give viewers a glimpse at how Trudie and Sting have personally dedicated themselves to inspirational practices and green living."
Bonus material will include a tour of Il Palagio's kitchen and gardens. More than 70% of the food at Il Palagio comes from the estate itself, including products that are sold to the public such as honey, olive oil, fruit, vegetables, Tuscan salami and, coming in 2010, wine. Additionally, there is a behind-the-scenes look at how Il Palagio uses the surrounding land to create a self-sustaining and eco-friendly house that runs on bio fuels. And lastly, a lifestyle piece about organic wine production, the conversion of estate lands into biodynamic vineyards, and the story behind Sister Moon, the couple's organic wine label.
The DVDs and kit will be available online and in retail stores wherever DVDs are sold.
A percentage of profits will go towards the Unicef Ecuador Water Project, which provides rainwater collection and filtration tanks to communities in the Ecuador rainforest where toxic waste from oil production has contaminated the natural water supply.
About Trudie Styler
Trudie Styler is an actress, film producer, director, human rights activist, environmentalist, organic farmer, and Unicef Ambassador. In 1988, Trudie and her husband Sting started the Rainforest Foundation, an organization devoted to protecting rainforests and their indigenous peoples. Trudie's charitable works for human rights and the environment have been recognized by many award-giving bodies. As an Ambassador for UNICEF, Trudie is committed to working to improve the lives of impoverished and exploited children all over the world. In 1990 Trudie and Sting moved to Lake House in the English countryside and, determined to raise their children on a fresh and healthy diet, set about converting the 200 acres of farmland to organic status. Trudie's passionate concerns for the environment and human rights motivate many of her career choices, and are reflected most clearly in her documentary films and fundraising activities
About GAIAM
Gaiam, Inc. (Nasdaq: GAIA) is the leading independent distributor of special interest programming, with a 72,000 door retail distribution network and over 10,000 store in stores. With more than 40 percent of the fitness and wellness market, Gaiam is dedicated to providing solutions for the many facets of healthy, eco-conscious living. Since its founding in 1988, Gaiam has grown into a $250 million integrated brand. The company's commitment to quality, coupled with an innovative approach to merchandising and distribution have allowed it to dominate the health and wellness category with fitness sensations Rodney Yee, Mari Winsor, Billy Blanks and The Firm. For more information about Gaiam, please visit www.gaiam.com, or call 1.800.869.3603.
SOURCE Gaiam, Inc.
Released July 13, 2009