Help Us Build a Shala

A Space for Men’s Work

Support the construction of a healing hub for yoga, men’s circles, workshops, and community.

Hi, I’m Gonçalo Luz, a men’s work facilitator, retreat leader, founder of Inner Outer Journeys and Sacred Grounds CNX, a wellness center nestled in the peaceful countryside of Northern Thailand, just outside Chiang Mai. After years of guiding men through transformative work, I’ve seen firsthand how a safe, sacred space can help someone reconnect to themselves, and to others.

That’s why I’m asking for your support to help me build the Sacred Shala, a simple but powerful garden structure that will become home to men’s circles, yoga classes (open to all), and transformational workshops.

Your contribution brings more than concrete and steel to life: It helps create a sanctuary where healing, presence, and connection can thrive.

Your support will build something sacred with the aim of serving others.

Small green yoga shala with large glass sliding doors, set on stilts with a small staircase, in a wooded area with trees and plants surrounding it.

Project Description

In the heart of nature, just outside Chiang Mai, a seed is ready to grow. A garden shala raised on stilts, with glass panels, wooden floors, and space for healing.

This is not just another yoga studio. This is a sanctuary for men’s work, emotional growth, community healing, and grounded spiritual practice.

Right now, many men - expats, locals, travelers, seekers - live in solitude and isolation. They carry emotional pain, unprocessed grief, and unresolved truma. The world is waking up to men’s mental health, but here, in the lush hills of Northern Thailand, spaces for that healing are still scarce.

This campaign is about changing that.

We’re raising funds to build a raised, glass-fronted workshop and yoga shala in the garden of Sacred Grounds, our small wellness center. It will host:

Men’s Circles
Yoga and Meditation classes (for all)
Men’s Work Cohorts
Healing workshops and sessions with guest teachers and facilitators (for all)
Community gatherings rooted in presence, embodiment, and self-development

The space will accommodate up to 21 participants, depending on the nature of the event. With natural light, airflow, and serenity, it will become a vessel for emotional safety, inner truth, and healing through community.

Group of eight men standing inside a yoga shala with big glass doors, during daytime, engaging in conversation or a meeting, with a green house and trees outside.

Funds raised will cover the metal structure, stilts, glass walls, roof, wood floor, raised access pathway for rainy days, air conditioning, air purifiers (burning season up here is a problem, with high levels of smoke, this is the main reason to have a closed shala here).

Construction begins as soon as the first milestone is met.

We believe in the power of brotherhood, community, and spiritual resilience. We believe in places that restore us.

If you’ve walked your own healing path… If you’ve ever felt the impact of men’s work… If you long for community rooted in depth and authenticity… then help us create this space.

Backers from anywhere in the world can claim online courses and circles, or discounted retreat access. And if you’ve never been here, maybe this is the start of your own journey.

Let’s build this space together.

A group of men standing in a circle hugging each other with sunset lighting outdoors.

What We Need

A male hand planting seeds in soil during sunset in a garden.

We are aiming to raise €9000 to fully build the Sacred Shala. The funds will cover:

Cement foundation and metal stilts (for flood safety)
Metal frame
Roof
Aluminum sliding doors/windows
Wood floor
Insulation
Electrical setup, air conditioning, and air purifier
Basic interior setup for yoga and workshop use, including Yoga mats and Pillows
Raised Concrete Pathway for rainy days

FAQs

This space is primarily for men seeking healing, clarity, and connection through men’s circles and men’s work. However, the yoga classes, embodiment practices, and community workshops held here are open to all - women and mixed-gender groups.
The Shala will be built in the peaceful garden of Sacred Grounds, our wellness space in Nam Phrae, Hang Dong, just outside Chiang Mai, Thailand—a quiet, green area ideal for retreats and inner work.
It will host men’s circles, transformational workshops, yoga and meditation classes, and other community-based wellness and healing offerings. It will also be available to guest facilitators aligned with our values.
As a self-funded community initiative, we currently don’t have the resources to build the shala alone. Crowdfunding allows us to invite our global community to co-create this space and offer rewards in return.
We plan to begin construction in November 2025 (as soon as the rainy season eases) and expect it to be finished within 6–8 weeks, weather permitting.
Absolutely. We warmly invite backers to visit, especially during our retreats, workshops, or community events. Some reward tiers even include discounts or free passes for these offerings.
Yes. And intentionally so, for the parts of us that never had a place. For men who’ve never felt safe to cry, speak truth, or connect. And no, because this space also welcomes yoga practitioners, facilitators, seekers of every gender. It’s a balance.
It’s happening already. This isn’t a vague idea. It’s an embodied commitment. The first building phase - cafeteria land and main building infrastructure (electricity, water, sewage, parking) is finished. The plans for the Yoga Shala are drawn. What’s missing is you and the community who believes spaces like this must exist.
Because this space isn’t mine. It’s ours. I’m not asking for charity, I’m inviting participation in something bigger: a shared temple for healing, built by the hands of many.
This is a shala not for Yoga pose perfection, but for process. For those navigating grief, pain, identity, purpose. A place to come undone and rebuild, in community.

Help Us Build a Shala

A Space for Men’s Work