NEW YORK, Jan. 4, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Gaiam, Inc. the leading distributor of lifestyle media, today is proud to announce the launch of its exclusive Portraits of Inspiring Lives series. The Gaiam produced, educationally driven series features a variety of known inspirational speakers. Throughout the next year Gaiam will release DVDs from luminaries including Jack Canfield, Bob Proctor, Byron Katie, and Neale Donald Walsch.  Each portrait is comprised of an in-depth interview, followed by a live workshop and lecture and will initially be available online at www.gaiam.com.  

"We are thrilled to be launching such an important and life-altering series," says Gaiam President Bill Sondheim. "Portraits of Inspiring Lives really captures an important aspect of the Gaiam lifestyle and spirit overall, specifically the quest for self-improvement and personal responsibility."

Each program features an intimate, in-depth, biographical interview that delves into the life events, stories, and experiences that shaped each luminary's path to discovering his or her true purpose, personal philosophy and work. In the second part of the program, a master class is given to a live studio audience, during which time they distill their work into an experiential lecture, inspiring the viewers with key takeaways to help them on their journey to discovery.

The third component, which will initially feature Jack Canfield, expands the ideas presented in the lecture into an in-depth experiential three to six lesson eCourse to be offered online at Gaiam University. Each lesson is structured as a combination of video, audio and text followed by an experiential exercise. The approach is meant to feel like a one-on-one experience, where the teacher is speaking directly to the student.

All segments were shot at Gaiam studios in Colorado, hosted by Lisa Garr of the Aware Radio Show http://www.theawareshow.com/. The programs are designed and intended for distribution through web, retail and catalog with each being first introduced via Gaiam's Spiritual Cinema Circle.

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 67,000 retail doors, over 12,500 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. 

Contact: Brittany Connor

Krupp Kommunications

bconnor@kruppnyc.com

646.797.2030

SOURCE Gaiam, Inc.