NEW YORK, Sept. 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Gaiam, Inc., the leading distributor of lifestyle media, announced today the release of Maya Fiennes' Yoga for Real Life. Fiennes' yoga is based on the discipline, Kundalini Yoga, which is a practice that fully engages the mind, body, and spirit, focusing on health and healing to improve the body through the use of its own energy.

In Yoga for Real Life, Fiennes guides viewers through a series of exercises to stimulate the chakras, the powerful spiritual centers of the body. Through breathing techniques, movements and mantras, she demonstrates how to clear the mind and body, preparing users to manifest anything they desire in life. In addition, the DVD provides visuals for all the positions and movements defined in her previously published book, Yoga for Real Life

Fiennes combined her talents as a successful classical pianist and performer, as she composed all the music featured on the DVD, which is designed to connect each body position with specific emotions. This provides a sense of release, as well as a journey from beginning to end, welcoming the unknown.

"From the first time I began practicing Kundalini, I felt such a strong connection as it fully incorporates the mind, body, and spirit in one workout, providing a truly emotional experience," says Fiennes. "I also love how Kundalini is accessible to anyone, whether a beginner or someone familiar with another style of yoga."

"We are excited to work with Maya Fiennes to offer our consumers the opportunity to experience a different yoga practice," says Bill Sondheim, president of Gaiam. "As the Kundalini practice has found a growing audience in the US, this DVD reflects our mission at Gaiam to provide a diversity of options, so that everyone can explore and discover all that yoga has to offer, enabling them to find a practice that is right for them."

Maya Fiennes' Yoga for Real Life has an approximate runtime of 60 minutes and a suggested retail price of $14.98. The DVD will be available beginning September 4, 2012 in stores and online at Amazon.com.

About Maya FiennesMaya Fiennes is one of the most in-demand yoga instructors in London today, offering fun, uplifting, inspirational practices. After trying a variety of different yoga practices she felt a strong connection to Kundalini yoga and in 2003 began training to be a teacher under Shiv Charan Singh at the Karam Kriya School in London. Incorporating her background as a classic pianist and performer, Fiennes uses her own original music in her classes, which she also performs live in concert. Since 2007 she has released a variety of DVDs, including a Journey through the Chakras, The Mantras of Kundalini Yoga, and a Detox DVD. Maya has also released a series of musical CDs to accompany her yoga. After writing Yoga For Real Life, she created this DVD, which will be the first in a set of three. Throughout the year, Fiennes leads workshops, retreats, and tours worldwide.

About GAIAMGaiam, Inc. (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, 14,400 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. In addition, Gaiam has an exclusive licensing agreement with Discovery Communications and other licensing partners. For more information about Gaiam, please visit http://www.gaiam.com or call 1.800.869.3603.

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

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Gaiam Launches Maya Fiennes' Yoga for Real Life - An Innovative Kundalini Yoga DVD

Yoga can loosen up your muscles and increase your body's longevity, John Farah says.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Editor's note: John Farah is the co-author of "Let's Pick it up a Bit," a memoir and a guide to help people lead an active life. He has run more than 430 races, including 123 marathons.

(CNN) -- My friend Christine was into yoga long before it went mainstream, and she was good at it.

She attended yoga camps, went on a yearly trek to India and even ritually cleansed her sinuses with warm saltwater -- literally sucked it up through her nose. She claimed it possessed a healing value and kept her from getting a cold.

That was the '70s.

She tried to convince me back then that yoga would be good for me, that it would loosen up my muscles and increase my body's longevity. I wanted nothing to do with it.

"Are you kidding?" I said. "I can't stand still for two minutes, and you want me to do yoga?"

Yoga: Tap into the many health benefits

I loved running and playing sports like soccer and volleyball, things that kept me moving all the time. The idea of stretching didn't really appeal to me. Neither, for that matter, did sucking saltwater into my nose.

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Hurry up and stand still: Why runners need yoga

Yoga can loosen up your muscles and increase your body's longevity, John Farah says.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Editor's note: John Farah is the co-author of "Let's Pick it up a Bit," a memoir and a guide to help people lead an active life. He has run more than 430 races, including 123 marathons.

(CNN) -- My friend Christine was into yoga long before it went mainstream, and she was good at it.

She attended yoga camps, went on a yearly trek to India and even ritually cleansed her sinuses with warm saltwater -- literally sucked it up through her nose. She claimed it possessed a healing value and kept her from getting a cold.

That was the '70s.

She tried to convince me back then that yoga would be good for me, that it would loosen up my muscles and increase my body's longevity. I wanted nothing to do with it.

"Are you kidding?" I said. "I can't stand still for two minutes, and you want me to do yoga?"

Yoga: Tap into the many health benefits

I loved running and playing sports like soccer and volleyball, things that kept me moving all the time. The idea of stretching didn't really appeal to me. Neither, for that matter, did sucking saltwater into my nose.

See the original post:
Why runners need yoga

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkHMrQsqLPA

03-09-2012 19:18 Shirts featured in Video - Yoga Paddleboard Workout How To Perform Balancing Cat Pose with Sara Tiefenthaler will teach you how to accomplish this basic move. Yogaqua Lessons - Suplove Paddle Boards - Supconnect Shirts - http Supconnect http Suplove http Yogaqua

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Yoga Paddleboard Workout - Balancing Cat with Sarah Tiefenthaler - Video

AYoga Journal advertising train took off fromMoscow tofour major cities, partnering up with Federal Passenger Company andYves Rocher topromote themagazine's image.

While embarking towards Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan, Yekaterinburg andPerm onFriday, thetrain promised free yoga lessons.

"It's going tobe like acircus, therailway company will provide us with aspecially painted wagon," said Yoga Journal's public relations director, Svetlana Bespalova.

Yoga Journal's event is acase ofniche marketing, with aspecialized focus opposed toa mass campaign. Thecarefully orchestrated affair creates customized appeal forthe magazine, as abroad message toits readership might not be as effective.

News ofthe yoga train has been circulated online through social media such as Tumblr, Facebook, Twitter, andvaried lifestyle news networks.

Denis Terekhov, amanaging partner ofthe Social Networks Agency, said that social networks have major advantages compared with conventional advertising.

"Social media allow one toalter acampaign andreceive feedback ina couple ofhours," he said.

Bycontrast, it takes anadvertiser atleast amonth tocome up with abillboard design andbook its space.

Once ayear, themagazine organizes aNational Yoga Day, with outdoor classes across Moscow. Each class typically has anattendance of200 to300 people.

Yoga Journal is not theonly publication using cross-promotion andreadily available online networks. Russia's Glamour magazine organized asimilar publicity stunt with their 50 meter stiletto race, held inJuly. Dozens ofwomen ran intheir heels fora chance towin 100,000 rubles ($2,450) inshopping money. Aheel ofat least 3.5 inches was required toparticipate.

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Yoga Journal Train Promotes Healthy Living

KALAMAZOO, MI - Yogis around the world, including in Kalamazoo, will attempt to create the first ever international "yoga relay" to raise money for charity on Sunday, September 9 as part of the Yoga Aid World Challenge.

Sangha Yoga, 157 S. Kalamazoo Mall, Suite 140, will host a practice lead by community teachers from 9-11:30 a.m. The Kalamazoo event is one of more than 200 events being held around the world. Participants must register online at http://www.yogaaid.com.

The event will start in Sydney, Australia and the chain reaction will end in Los Angeles. Yoga Aid is an international non-profit that supports humanitarian charities and cultivates an attitude of giving back in yogis.

The event has raised more than $1.4 million since it was started six years ago, Yoga Aid co-founder Clive Mayhew said in a news release.

"Yoga Aid World Challenges empower yogis to leverage their own networks for the common good," Mayhew said. "We are a community which knows the great benefits of yoga. The Yoga Aid World Challenge allows us to use yoga as a vehicle to give to others less fortunate."

All funds raised in Kalamazoo will support the following charities: 4 OneWorld, Across America Yoga, Yoga Gangsters, Off the Mat Into the World and Africa Yoga Project.

Contact Anthony Smigiel at asmigiel@mlive.com.

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Yoga Aid World Challenge: Kalamazoo's Sangha Yoga plans to participate in international 'yoga relay'

September is National Yoga Month and has been since 2008. It was created to teach people about the ways in which yoga can benefit health and encourage a healthy way of living. I will offer 10 wonderful ways for us to all celebrate National Yoga month.

#1 Take a free class

Celebrate National Yoga Month this September by receiving free yoga classes for one week at more than 1,600 different locations throughout the nation. Classes are offered to new students, so if you want to give yoga a try now is your chance.

#2 Download a free song

Get in the mood for yoga by downloading the song "Om Namo," one of the many songs from the Yoga Revolution CD.

#3 Educate yourself on the health benefits of yoga

Educate yourself on the health benefits of yoga in one or more of the following ways:

#4 Teach someone else to do yoga

If you already know how to do yoga, give back by teaching your children, a friend or another family member.

#5 Make a donation

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Top 10 Ways to Celebrate National Yoga Month

Yoga is growing in popularity in Georgia, particularly among Georgians who have traveled abroad - or those who are seeking help with back pain. But the growing interest has also provoked some concern from Georgian Orthodox priests, who think the practice could lead churchgoers astray. (Photo: Molly Corso)

A growing number of Georgians are turning to yoga to shake off the stress of daily life. But their quest for inner calm and smaller waists is generating hostility from the powerful Georgian Orthodox Church.

Over the past two years, yoga has gone from a largely unknown Eastern tradition to a popular fitness routine in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi. Georgian National Yoga Federation President Giorgi Berdzenishvili, a passionate practitioner for the past 15 years, called the trend a dynamic process that started under former Soviet leader Mikheil Gorbachevs glasnost policies in the late 1980s.

During the Soviet era, when religious beliefs were discouraged, yoga tended to be viewed as a fringe health-oriented practice, devoid of spirituality, Berdzenishvili noted. But slowly, over the past several years, amid increased Internet usage and travel abroad, yoga has moved into the mainstream in Georgian society.

Today, yogas popularity is at an all-time high, instructors say. Classes are full, leading to the opening of several new studios in Tbilisi over the past year. This phenomenon has some Georgian Orthodox priests worried, due to yogas spiritual roots in Hinduism, and its perceived association with Buddhism.

While the Patriarchy, the body that governs the Georgian Orthodox Church, did not respond to requests from EurasiaNet.org for the Churchs official position on yoga, dozens of websites devoted to the faith have published articles and blogs that are critical of the practice.

Orthodoxy.ge, a website run by priests at Sioni Cathedral, the former headquarters of the Georgian Orthodox Church, warns the faithful that yoga is full of false charms that lure people away from God.

In a long entry entitled Eastern Culture, the priests caution that even people who perform simple yoga exercises gradually develop some spiritual thoughts (a broad reference to meditation) that are not compatible with Christianity.

The Church is widely viewed as the most trusted institution in Georgia, and, by extension, Georgian Orthodox priests often wield considerable influence, providing guidance on everything from family planning to purchasing a car.

Local yoga instructors told EurasiaNet.org that priests concerns about yoga have stopped some Georgians from taking up the discipline, and have prompted others to abandon it. Mariam Ubilava, a certified yoga teacher at Sun Yoga Tbilisi, said that newcomers often ask before class if meditation is part of the program. Georgians dont like meditation so much, Ubilava said. Georgians are very strong in their religion and they think if they start meditation, this is related to Buddha and India, and they avoid [it].

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Georgia: Orthodox Church Looks Askance at Proliferation of Yoga Studies

Yoga is an amazing ancient practice that is still very useful today. It offers numerous benefits to those suffering with mind and body ailments, such as common colds, stress and heart disease. This particular article will focus on the the advantages of asanas (yoga poses) for those with heart disease, as well as additional information in regards to this condition.

Yoga has the ability to help the heart heal more rapidly

Cardiac surgeons in Ludhiana, Punjab (located in India) have started recommending that their heart patients participate in yoga since ancient science has established the fact that it offers a means of quick healing for a plentiful amount of patients.

Participating in yoga has led to rapid recovery for those who have had heart surgery. In addition, it has given them a more positive outlook.

Medicare covers the costs of the Dean Ornish Program

Medicare pays for the Ornish program for those in cardiac rehab, and has been doing so since 2010. This amazing program incorporates the following:

Yoga for those with heart disease

While yoga is excellent for those with heart disease, modifications are necessary. Chairs and walls may be used as a means of modification to make the poses and balance easier on the patient.

Heather Sager, a yoga teacher, has created her own version of modified yoga for cardiac patients called "A Matter of Heart," a form of "Gentle Yoga." Sager herself has a congenital heart condition and underwent heart surgery. The program focuses on rebuilding the muscles of the heart after surgery.

Gentle yoga poses

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Yoga for Those with Heart Disease

CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS

KEEPING HER MEMORY FRESH Priscilla Saulnier poses in her garden by a statue honoring her late yoga teacher, Katherine Trainor. The surrounding plantings bear female names such as Ladys Mantle and Helens Flowers.

Remembering Katherine Trainor

About 25 years ago, yoga teacher Katherine Trainor was looking for a place large enough for her weekly class.

She found the ideal space: roomy Baldwin Hall at the Federated Church in Hyannis. Next Saturday (Sept. 8), many of Trainors students will gather there for a special yoga class in honor of their beloved teacher from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Her birthday would have been Sept. 7.

What better way to honor her memory on a day close to her special day by doing yoga together and sharing remembrances, said Christine Roscoe, a certified yoga teacher of East Sandwich, who will lead the class.

Anyone who took a yoga class with Trainor, 73, who died on Oct. 10 after a bout with cancer, is welcome to attend the special class.

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Yoga teachers lessons live on