Introduction: Born in the 1960s in the outskirts of Milan, my path to understanding the body and mind began at a very young age. My childhood was a continuous laboratory of movement: I explored the discipline of artistic gymnastics, the resistance of swimming, the controlled strength of judo, and the expressive depth of the guitar. These first approaches to the art of moving and playing music planted the seeds of a curiosity that would grow throughout my life.
After completing my studies in computer science, I felt the call of a wider horizon. I decided to travel across Europe, an experience that led me to settle in Bologna in the 1990s. It was in this city that my encounter with Yoga became a definitive turning point, transforming my life.
The Awakening of Yoga
Initially, Yoga was just a way to stretch my muscles after hours at the computer. But it soon became something more: a language of the body, a map of energy, a guide for the mind. In 2015, after years of self-taught practice and gym classes, I decided to become an instructor. I obtained a two-year diploma from ISYCO, an internationally recognized training school, where I studied with masters like Giulio Di Furia, Francesca Marziani, Giuseppe Goldoni, and Saverio Marchignoli—each a fundamental piece in my understanding of Yoga as a holistic practice.
But the real change came with my first trip to India. In Mysore, I breathed the sacred air of the birthplace of Ashtanga Vinyasa. In Rishikesh, I walked along the Ganges, surrounded by monks and pilgrims, and realized that Yoga is not just a sequence of poses, but a philosophy of life. In Pushkar, I studied with local masters who opened my eyes to the depth of breath and meditation. It was there that my practice became a true, daily discipline, deeply rooted.
Today, I teach Hatha Yoga in gyms, companies, parks, and online—because I believe Yoga must be accessible to everyone, in every context. Whether you are a beginner or an advanced practitioner, my lesson is an invitation to return to yourself, to feel your body, to breathe consciously, and to live in harmony.
Thai Yoga Massage: When Touch Becomes Care
My passion for massage was born from an intuition: if Yoga moves energy through movement, Thai Yoga Massage moves it through touch. Since 2018, I have dedicated over 400 hours to training at the Thai Yoga Massage Asokananda school in Italy, India, and Thailand. But the experience that marked me the most was a stay in a village in Chiang Mai, where I practiced massages in a Buddhist temple. It wasn’t a wellness center, but a place of prayer, where every pressure on the body was an act of compassion. I felt my clients’ energy flowing through my hands, and I realized that massage is not just therapy—it is connection.
Today, I offer treatments in Royal Style Thai Massage, Foot Reflexology, Oil Massage, and Acro Thai techniques—always with comfortable clothing, without undressing, to respect intimacy and practicality. My goal? Not only to dissolve muscle tensions but to rebalance the energy flow and return the body to its natural fluidity.
Acro Yoga: Trust, Play, and Collaboration
In 2016, I discovered Acro Yoga—a practice that fuses yoga, acrobatics, and therapy. I still remember my first course in Bologna with Stefano Tassinari and Irene Palanca: the first time I lay on the ground as a “base” and felt the weight of a partner on my body—a feeling of responsibility, but also of joy. Acro Yoga is not just physical balance, but mutual trust, deep listening, and collaboration. Since 2020, I have organized workshops and intensive courses throughout Italy, and in 2022 I completed the Acroyoga Montreal Teacher Training, an experience that taught me to teach with creativity, safety, and kindness.
YQuan and Tai Chi: Movement as Meditation in Motion
Since 2007, I have studied YQuan and Tai Chi with the Italian school led by Grand Master Yan Lin Sheng and Grand Master Liu Chun Yan. These disciplines—born in China—taught me to move with fluidity, to transform strength into grace, and gesture into intention. I remember a spring morning in the park where we were practicing Tai Chi: a group of children approached, imitating our movements with enthusiasm. It wasn’t an intrusion—it was a gift. They were living proof that movement, when it is true, is contagious.
Vegan for Animals, Human for Knowledge
In 2020, I chose to become vegan for the animals—an ethical decision that found echoes in my Yoga practice. Non-violence (ahimsa) is not just a philosophical principle, but a lifestyle. Today, I bring this awareness to every lesson, every massage, and every moment of sharing.
But I have never abandoned my digital roots. In my free time, I continue to work as a consultant in cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and data mining—because I believe technology, if used with awareness, can be a tool for evolution, not distraction.
Lessons for All: No Age, No Limits
My school has no walls. I teach anyone who wants to learn—from children to the elderly, from athletes to executives. Because Yoga, Acro, Thai Massage, and Tai Chi are not sports, but paths of transformation. And every person deserves to walk them.
Acknowledgments: A Mosaic of Masters
No journey is solitary. I thank:
- YOGA: Simonetta Togliani at Centro Melograno, Giulio Di Furia, Francesca Marziani, Giuseppe Goldoni, Saverio Marchignoli, Usha Devi, Roshan, Swamiji Kapri—and all the Indian masters who welcomed me with generosity.
- YQUAN & TAI CHI: Grand Master Yang Lin Sheng, Grand Master Liu Chun Yan, Luca Marzaduri, Michelangelo Fabbri, Luigi Tassini—and all the hands that guided me in the flow.
- ACROYOGA: Stefano Tassinari, Irene Palanca, Luigi Mercurio, Jessica & Eugene, Heidi & Jill—and all the flight partners from the Sicily conventions.
- THAI MASSAGE: Laurino Bertelli, Claudio, Andrea Baglioni, Ivan Medici, Mr Nat, Mr Joe, and the Wat Po & Chetawan school in Bangkok—where I learned that massage is prayer made into a body.
Daniele Ziccardi Yoga, Acro Yoga, and Thai Yoga Massage Teacher | Vegan for Animals | Technologist with a Heart in the East
📍 Bologna, Italy 📱 +39 373 838 1363 📧 daniele@321yoga.net 🌐 321yoga.net
“My work is not to teach poses, but to help people find their own center—through movement, breath, and touch.”
👉 Want to meet me in person? Book a lesson, a massage, or an Acro Yoga session—and discover how your body can become your best ally.