Gaiam

Gaiam is a corporation that provides fitness products and media, including products relating to the practice of yoga. Its yoga videos are taught by instructors such as Rodney Yee.

Gaiam (pronounced "guy-um"), is a fusion of the words "Gaia" and "I am". Gaia, mother Earth, was honored on the Isle of Crete in ancient Greece 5,000 years ago by the Minoan civilization. The concept of Gaia stems from the ancient philosophy that the Earth is a living entity.

History

Gaiam was founded in Boulder, Colorado in 1988 by Jirka Rysavy. His vision was to serve the "conscious consumer", a group subsequently named the "Cultural Creatives" by sociologist Paul Ray in 1996: educated consumers who make purchasing decisions based on their values. Paul Ray now serves on Gaiam's board of directors.

Originally a catalog business, Gaiam now has products in stores worldwide.

In 2003, it bought a 50.1% share in its UK distributor Leisure Systems International (LSI). LSI subsequently changed its name to Gaiam Ltd. In May 2008 however the UK directors of Gaiam Ltd bought back their share of the business and changed the company name again to HAB International Ltd.