We were lucky to catch up with Jodie Snyder recently and have shared our conversation below.
Jodie, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
After a prompt from my therapist several years ago to explore influential adults during my formative teenage years, I made an incredible discovery. Mr. Voss, my high school history teacher, was the individual that stood apart. Not only did I take every elective class he offered, but it was the first time I felt an intrinsic desire to understand the human experience and its fascinating complexity. I now see Mr. Voss was the conduit that drew attention to the vantage point of where I stand today. I have been on a quest ever since to better understand the nature of what it means to be human. I have maintained that curiosity over the decades as I question the role of conditioning and systems in our lives, better understand the root of our internal disturbances, and how to best serve people from a mental, emotional, physical and spiritual level. Not only does this healing work seem like a lifelong natural fit, I have also felt supported in all of my endeavors. When doing our life’s work, the world conspires for us. In this area of life, opportunities and openings always seemed to come along at the “right” time as if to say, “yes, keep going”. I once had a teacher explain to me that Dharma, or life’s purpose, is like stroking a cat: gliding your hand head to tail and feeling the smooth fur. I know when I get off track because it feels like stroking the Dharma cat from tail to head!
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
As a society, we are exhausted and overwhelmed. We try to regain balance in our lives, but soon find out we need more support than we thought. I certainly felt this way ten years ago when I asked myself the question: What would it feel like to be back to my original state of health?
So I built the thing I longed for.
Hina Hale, located on the east shores of Oahu, Hawaii, is a refuge for our times. The stressors of our modern day are unprecedented, and the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda can help show the way back to a more harmonious life. Ayurveda is an ancient and intelligent system of healing. Stress, improper and unhealthy diets, and various environmental factors cause unhealthy accumulation in our bodies and minds. Most of us know what that feels like. Ayurveda provides a process of eliminating these accumulated impurities from our physiology by restoring a natural state of health before it becomes grossly out of balance. Our bodies have an innate and natural ability to heal, and Ayurvedic remedies assist in this process. In addition to Ayurvedic wellness practices, I also weave my work as a mental health counselor into the programs I offer. The mind is a powerful tool that also needs addressing. I work intuitively with a variety of approaches, the most important one being deep listening. I often think of a person’s story having twists and turns, spirals and fluctuations. Right underneath all that movement though, is a deeper resonance. I call it a dial tone. That dial tone can often indicate where we are out of our natural balance.
Hina Hale offers a chance to interact with this ancient knowledge through on-site wellness programs that are designed to promote the reclamation of your body’s natural intelligence and foster balance and well-being. A recent client said it best: “The most surprising thing to me was how much positive energy radiated from the physical property and how much that made a difference in my experience. The entire property was accessible, welcoming and comfortable, but it felt to me like each space had its own unique energy to offer to enable and to support growth, learning, healing, rest, nourishment, joy, grief, etc. ”
Hina Hale is now accepting bookings for Spring and Summer 2025.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
1. Go to the source: If you have a particular area of interest and/or study, go as far back as you can. The first time I set foot in India I knew I was transported into something I could never learn from a book. If you want to start an ice cream business, go spend time in pasture talking with the cows. If you love technology, spend time in the original technology: Mother Nature. Notice how she works in the most amazing of ways!
2. Stay Curious. Always. This prevents sleep walking through life.
3. A yes is a yes. A no is a no. A maybe is a no. Our time and energy is too precious.
Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?
The Alchemist, written by Paulo Coelho, is hands down the book I turn to again and again for sage wisdom. In the process of alchemy, there are four stages described: the blackening phase, the whitening phase, the yellowing phase and finally the reddening phase. In the first phase, we often find ourselves unclear, confused, and revert to creating chaotic situations for ourselves. It’s during this time we expend a lot of energy on the topics, situations, and relationships that are causing exhaustion. Many clients arrive to Hina Hale in this “blackening” state. Perhaps it is a health crisis or years of overworking. Or maybe a recent loss or life change. What’s clear is that an alchemical transformation is looking to take place.
How does that happen?
In the second phase, a “whitening” takes place. Like we find through the character of Santiago, a purification commences and bad habits, wrong thoughts, etc. are strained out. A greater sense of consciousness emerges to what is happening in one’s life. They return back to their true and natural personality. We know when we have entered the whitening states because we feel calm and relieved. This is the alchemical process in which Ayurveda provides a roadmap for us. If we turn to face the muck of our lives and begin to alchemize it, we become “brighter”. At Hina Hale, we do this through a safe, contained space for structured rest and return to the fundamentals of aligning with the natural rhythms of the day, lovingly prepared healthy food, daily treatments and integration.
When our clients leave, they often share of the third and fourth phase of alchemy, by drawing on new found wisdom they can draw on from their time at Hina Hale, feeling a sense of inner harmony and balance.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.hinahale.com
- Instagram: hinahalehawaii
- Facebook: Hina Hale
- Youtube: @HinaHale
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
