Whether we like it or not, this connection with the inner being is very much linked to the feminine, sometimes not opening space for the man to engage on this kind of matter which can be very beneficial to him as well.

However, Rui Estrela has been trying to change this, bringing in several tools for men who want to live with more passion, purpose and power. At the moment, he is the main reference of sacred male in Portugal.

Like many others, Rui was very involved in the corporate life before starting this awareness journey. "I had marketing companies. I worked with Coca-Cola, EDP, things that made me very stressed”, he said.

Something missing

Rui apparently had everything, his companies were doing well, he had no problems with money but there was something missing. "I didn't feel fulfilled, I didn't feel happy. So about 16 years ago, I started to know myself a little bit more through personal development, coaching and therapies."

After much research into the sacred male, he came to a point where he could not find enough information. "Most of the male ancestral practices has been abolished, burnt down. The inquisition also did a lot of harm to men," he said.

After that, he travelled a lot throughout the world in search of old knowledge. "I met several wise men, older men who were still carrying on with some ancestral practices and so I put together my puzzle. Then many men started following my works and asking me to share it”.

"Over the years it also attracted more people. Today I am the national reference of the sacred masculine. I am also already in some European meetings where I represent Portugal, where we discuss how men's health is on a European level".

Sacred Masculine

If you are not familiar with this term it is very normal as it has been lost in time. According to him, it is “you looking at yourself as the sacred being that you are. The things that you think, feel and stand for are sacred. When you eat it becomes sacred. When you make love to someone it is a sacred moment. When you do ancestral practices or exercise to nourish yourself it is sacred”.

All in all, “the sacred male is to make your life sacred”, he said. However, not all you do is sacred. “I won't take smoking, drinking alcohol, hitting people as sacred. Also, that is taking away the sacredness that I have”, he said.

Male mental health

Although Rui stressed that he doesn't want to make generalisations, as there are men who work hard to develop themselves every day, there are other men who don't really care.

However, modern times are leading many men to open their hearts and look inside themselves. In the last five years, "men have become more concerned about their mental health and human development”.

"I feel like things are already on track, I haven't felt it for 10 years. It's a very recent thing. A lot of men are already starting to understand that the old ways of our grandfathers and fathers doesn’t make any sense."

Patriarchy

"Male chauvinism affects women as a consequence, but it affects men because we are responsible for these behaviours. Chauvinism is the policeman of patriarchy. It is what maintains the rules of patriarchy. When for generations we are taught what a real man should be, a man who does not cry, extremely sexual, sometimes oppressive of the feminine, when these dogmas begin to fall, everything begins to fade because not only the man but the woman begins to live a happier life," Rui Estrela told The Portugal News.

"All people want to be happy. Most of the current chauvinistic behaviour is because they don't know how to act differently. It's not their fault, they don't have any references on how to behave. So he will continue with the old patriarchy, with the old teachings and then it affects not only him but everything around him”, he said.

In fact, this is one of the main reasons for the mental illness of men who end up having problems crying, sharing feelings or asking for a hug. "The root of man's pain comes from our heart. Men have been disconnected from their hearts for centuries. This path back to the heart is key. Men have to escape from the mental."

Going back home

"Many of the problems men have nowadays, such as, drugs, infidelity, and struggles in making commitments come from emotional holes”, he said.

To sort it out is important to “stop feeling that I am just a man if judged by others as one - if I buy a very nice car and if I have a beautiful woman by my side and if I have a lot of money”, he said. Therefore, he suggests to all men that they go back home to their inner spirit.

"For me, the salvation of our world depends on this work because most of the situations that are making the world sick are sponsored by unconscionable men in positions of power," he concluded.

If you would like to know more about this and perhaps attend one of his retreats, please follow Rui Estrela on Instagram where he is more than happy to respond to any messages.

Author

Paula Martins is a fully qualified journalist, who finds writing a means of self-expression. She studied Journalism and Communication at University of Coimbra and recently Law in the Algarve. Press card: 8252

Paula Martins