Yogis Uncovered | Meet Daniel
From working behind the camera to stepping in front of it! In this edition of Yogis Uncovered, we chat with Daniel, a film industry veteran from Italy. Discover how he uses naked yoga to keep his body set-ready, why he prefers practicing without clothes, and the inspiring story of how he went from a True Naked Yoga subscriber to joining our teaching roster. Join today to see his full interview!
“I started as a subscriber of True Naked Yoga... After three years of practice, I tried again and felt confident enough to send in another audition video. It worked out!”
Hi, I’m Daniel. I’m from the north of Italy in South Tyrol, and I currently live in Meran. South Tyrol, where I grew up, is the German-speaking region of Italy. I’m part of a minority in Italy and where I live looks more like Austria than Italy. The culture there is also more Austrian, although with a strong Italian influence.
What was it like growing up in that region?
Well, it’s a perfect region to grow up in because it’s full of mountains and lots of nature. So I couldn’t imagine a better place.
How often do you speak Italian versus German?
It depends on which friends I’m hanging out with or the period of my life. Now I’m married to a German-speaking woman, and our friends, those who stayed, are mostly German-speaking. During my time in film school, I had more Italian-speaking friends. So it depended on the period in my life whether I spoke more Italian or German, but I speak better German. I speak German, Italian, and English.
What do you do for work?
I’m in the film business. In the last 10 years, I was mainly a key grip. Before that, I did documentaries. I’ve done everything in the film business over the last 30 years.
How did you get into yoga?
First of all, I knew I should do something for my body because, as a grip working on small movies, I have to move the equipment myself. I knew I had to do something if I wanted to continue for years. Then during COVID, maybe because I didn’t move enough, I developed a sciatica problem in one leg. The doctor explained that two muscles had shortened and were squeezing the nerve. So I figured maybe I should do yoga to stretch those muscles and also to do something for my back and my job. I stumbled across naked yoga, and fortunately, it was something I could connect with.
How has yoga helped you on the job?
I typically work on two movies a year. In between, I take on small film projects in other positions. The physical work was always secondary to more static work, like sitting at a computer. Coming back onto a film set, the first two weeks used to be difficult. But since I started doing yoga, I can start right from the first day and not feel anything in my back. So it helped.
What’s your favorite yoga pose?
Probably pigeon pose because my hips are not as flexible as I’d like them to be. I enjoy stretching them.
What do you do for fun?
I like to walk. I also enjoy building things I need. I build everything, cut the grass, or repair whatever needs fixing.
How did you become comfortable being nude in front of other people?
In South Tyrol, the sauna [culture] became quite popular in the last 20 years. I always enjoyed it, and there you are with other naked people. So it’s almost normal. I’m turning 50 this year, and during my childhood, there were no saunas or anything like that. South Tyrol is in the mountains, and it’s a Catholic [area] like the rest of Italy. My family wasn’t very strict, but this was new in this region.
Do you prefer doing yoga nude or with clothes on?
I definitely prefer nude yoga because of the sweating. Clothes get too hot. Also, in some poses, the grip is better. I just like not having clothes on.
How has it been working with us today so far?
It’s nice. I managed to stay more or less relaxed, which was what I was most worried about. But it’s really cool. I started as a subscriber of True Naked Yoga. At some point, I thought maybe I could try to audition. I self-taped myself once, but it wasn’t good. After three years of practice, I tried again and felt confident enough to send in another audition video. It worked out!
What’s your favorite self-care practice?
I don’t have specific self-care practices, except for yoga. But [perhaps] building things is a form of self-care for me. When I build something, I end up with a finished product or something that works when it didn’t before. That’s psychologically rewarding, so I guess it counts as self-care.
Do you have any advice for new practitioners starting on their yoga journey?
For me, it was about always looking for a new challenge with yoga poses. But the advice I’d give is not to push too hard too soon. Just make sure to warm up before doing anything.
*this interview has been edited for brevity and clarity