Gonçalo Luz

Men's Work Facilitator | Adventure Travel Leader | Founder of Inner Outer Journeys

From Outer Success to Inner Calling

For years, I thought had built what looked like a good life from the outside: a successful filmmaker’s career, freedom, a bohemian artist’s life. But something deeper was missing.

Underneath the movement, I felt a quiet ache. A yearning for something deeper. More grounded. More authentic.

My transformation didn’t happen in a film premiere or in the editing room. It began with a total break down, and then in solitude, high in the Himalayas, in a silent retreat, where I could no longer run from myself.

Eventually, that journey led me, years later, to my first men’s circle in Ko Phangan, Thailand.  And that changed everything.

Sankalparaja found solace in the stillness of meditation.
Sankalparaja's quest for awakening is a never-ending adventure.
Sankalparaja embarked on his spiritual journey after feeling a deep inner calling.
A man with glasses, a beard, and curly hair sits cross-legged on a yoga mat outdoors, facing another person with a shaved head, against a background of green trees and a clear sky.
Sankalparaja's journey of awakening lasted for seven transformative years.
Sankalparaja leads a meditation session during a men's retreat
Sankalparaja's arrival in the Himalayas marked the beginning of a new chapter.
A group of men sit in a men's circle, in a spacious, well-lit room with wooden floors and large windows. They are sitting cross-legged on cushions arranged in a circle. The room is decorated with colorful prayer flags and spiritual artwork.
Four men in riding gear standing next to their parked bikes, smiling and talking in a mountainous area with trees, a white picket fence, and mountains in the background.
Sankalparaja's journey into Yoga and self-discovery was a testament to his courage and resilience.
Sankalparaja's quest for spiritual enlightenment began with a single step.
A group of men sitting outdoors in a men's circle, around a campfire at night, talking and listening.
Group of men kneeling and sitting outdoors near ancient stone ruins, some with backpacks, participating in a discussion or meditation.

Walking the Path, Then Holding the Space

I’ve spent over a decade immersed in traditional yogic lineages, meditation, men’s work, and a few healing and bodywork practices. I’ve trained with Yogic masters, practiced in retreat for months, and held space for men who broke through what they once thought was impossible to change.

But the work I offer isn’t about me.  It’s about you.  About the man who’s tired of pretending, tired of drifting and ready to come back to who he really is. Whether we’re riding through the Indian Himalayas, circling in Thailand, or connecting through an online course, you’re not alone on this path.

You don’t need to have it all figured out. You just need to start walking.

What I Offer

I create powerful experiences for men to reset, reconnect, and realign with who they truly are. My retreats and courses combine:

  • Men’s Work: Honest sharing, emotional literacy, and the strength of brotherhood

  • Yoga & Meditation: Grounding practices rooted in Himalayan wisdom traditions

  • Embodiment: Tools to break out of your head and into your body

  • Life-Changing Journeys: Motorcycle journeys, sacred rituals, and wilderness challenges that mark real turning points in a man’s life

This is not self-help. This is self-remembrance. These are not passive experiences either. They are invitations into a deeper life. You’ll be challenged. You’ll be seen. You’ll be supported. And you’ll walk away changed.

Who You Are Before This Work

  • Successful but tired of pretending

  • Always thinking, rarely feeling

  • Numb, stressed, or stuck

  • Longing for something real, but unsure where to begin

Who You Become After

  • Clear in your purpose

  • Strong in your body

  • Able to speak your truth: with your partner, your kids, your brothers

  • Supported by a circle of men who’ve walked through the fire with you

Sankalparaja (Gonçalo Luz) leads a kundalini hatha yoga session during a men's retreat in Ladakh.

Why This Work Matters Now

For too long, men have been told to figure it out alone. To stay strong, stay silent, carry the weight without breaking.

That way is breaking us.

This work gives you a place to drop the mask, speak honestly, and remember what it means to be fully alive. Not in theory, but in practice. In your breath, your body, your choices, your relationships.

Gonçalo Luz leads a men's work exercise during a men's retreat in the South of Portugal.

Your Journey Starts Here

If you’ve read this far, something is already stirring in you. You don’t need to be “ready.” You just need to be honest.

Let’s walk the path, from doubt to direction, from isolation to brotherhood, from surviving to truly living.

Not Ready for a Retreat Yet? Start With Grounded Man

If you’re new to this work or want to start from home, begin with my online course:

The Grounded Man: A Journey Into Men’s Work

This self-paced course is designed to help you:

  • Reconnect with your purpose and values

  • Develop emotional resilience and self-awareness

  • Learn the core principles of men’s work

  • Begin building the foundation for a deeper, more honest life

No fluff. No guru talk. Just practical tools and real conversations designed for the man who’s ready to stop drifting and start living.