Gonçalo Luz
Facilitator, Co-Founder of Sacred Grounds
Gonçalo began a serious exploration of Yoga, meditation, and contemplative traditions in 2011. What started initially as a personal search for meaning, gradually became his path and way of life. Over the years, he immersed himself in the study and practice of classical Hatha Yoga, also known as Kundalini Hatha Yoga, and the non-dual philosophy of Trika Shaivism.
His training included teacher certifications with Akasha Yoga, Mark Whitwell's Heart of Yoga approach, and finally Trikaya Yoga. Seeking a deeper understanding far beyond western studio Yoga culture, Gonçalo spent nine continuous months in traditional Hatha Yoga retreat and advanced study with his teacher in Costa Rica. Rooted in the teachings of classical Hatha Yoga and the lineage of Swami Satyananda Saraswati, this intensive period of practice became a defining chapter in his life and continues to shape his teaching today.
Gonçalo Luz is the owner and co-founder of Sacred Grounds CNX. He is a Hatha Yoga teacher, retreat leader, and facilitator of personal transformation whose work is rooted in a deep commitment to self-inquiry, embodied practice, and authentic human connection.
Before dedicating his life to Yoga and transformational work, Gonçalo spent almost twenty years in the film industry as a filmmaker and film teacher. He direct fiction and commercial films for television, while teaching directing, production, and film grammar for two decades. In 2010, although his professional career was successful, an increasing sense of emptiness and a longing for depth led him onto a very different path.
Since 2019, Gonçalo has facilitated men's circles, workshops, and retreats, creating spaces where participants can step away from the pressures of daily life and reconnect within in a more honest and meaningful way.
His work combines the discipline of Yoga with practices that encourage self-reflection, presence, personal responsibility, and authentic connection.
He is also the founder of Inner Outer Journeys, a retreat organisation best known for its men's retreats and motorcycle journeys through the Indian Himalayas. These experiences combine adventure, Yoga, meditation, men's work, and cultural immersion, inviting participants into both an outer journey through extraordinary landscapes and an inner journey of self-discovery.
Alongside his Yoga training, Gonçalo has explored a wide range of approaches to personal growth, embodiment, communication, and relational development.
His studies have included Jungian psychology, and several experiential methods that support emotional awareness, self-understanding, and meaningful connection. For nearly a decade, he also worked professionally in body-based approaches to intimacy, relationship, and human connection, gaining valuable insight into the ways people relate to themselves and one another.
While this work now belongs to an earlier chapter of his life, its influence continues to inform the safe, grounded, and compassionate way he facilitates groups and workshops today.
Whether teaching a Yoga class, facilitating a workshop, leading a retreat, or hosting a circle, Gonçalo's approach remains consistent: practical, grounded, and rooted in direct experience. Rather than offering quick answers or fixed beliefs, he invites people into a process of exploration, one that encourages greater awareness, deeper connection, and a more authentic relationship with life.
His work is guided by a simple conviction: transformation becomes possible when we learn to meet ourselves honestly, cultivate presence, and engage with others from a place of openness and sincerity.
Whether teaching a Yoga class, facilitating a workshop, leading a retreat, or hosting a circle, Gonçalo's approach remains consistent: practical, grounded, and rooted in direct experience. Rather than offering quick answers or fixed beliefs, he invites people into a process of exploration, one that encourages greater awareness, deeper connection, and a more authentic relationship with life.
His work is guided by a simple conviction: transformation becomes possible when we learn to meet ourselves honestly, cultivate presence, and engage with others from a place of openness and sincerity.