Melissa Dodge Interview Transcript

 

 

Nancy Rush:

Welcome, Mel. I'm so glad to have you here, and I'm really excited to jump into our topic. But before I do, let me read your bio so that people have an understanding of who you are and all the awesomeness that you do. 

So Melissa is an intuition coach and Reiki energy healing practitioner. Wow, that was a mouthful. And teacher. She helps professional women feel more empowered, grounded, and intentional in their lives by weaving together her gifts as an empath, energy healer, and intuitive coach. 

For over eight years, Melissa has supported women across all levels of leadership from C-suite executives and physicians to entrepreneurs, guiding them from stress and stagnation into calm confidence and purposeful momentum. I love that. That's really beautiful. 

She's certified through the International Coaching Federation, a Reiki master teacher, yoga instructor, and trained in both somatic and trauma-informed modalities. Not a minimum of credentials there, my dear. That's fantastic. 

Melissa Dodge:

I love learning. <Laugh> 

Nancy Rush:

I can tell. I do, too. It's like my bio is like a laundry list of stuff. It's like I had to take stuff out because it was getting ridiculous. 

Well, today we're going to be talking about reclaiming your intuitive sense. And I think this is such a fantastic topic for people because one of the things I talk about a lot is really using our intuition in business and in our personal lives too. 

I think that many people come from the premise of, like, they know that they have the ability to be intuitive and gain that guidance, but they don't necessarily either trust it or know how to tap into it. So tell me a little bit about how you define intuition and what gets in the way of people accessing it clearly. 

Melissa Dodge:

I believe we're all born intuitive. It's one of the senses that we're born with, and life happens and it gets shut down because we live in a very logical, structured, science-based world. And so I keep seeing, "Oh, you need to test your intuition." It's kind of like, how about we just trust it? How about we turn it back on? 

It's that part of us, that deep sense of just knowing. It can be something really simple or something really big. Simple is like, this happened to me last week. I was at the grocery store and my intuition's like, "You need lemons." And I'm like, "No, I don't. I just bought a bag last week," and I got home and the bag that I had bought the week before was all bad. 

So it doesn't have to be this big, scary thing. People are like, "Well, intuition is scary." Well, it's not—it's who you are. 

Nancy Rush:

I love that. And I think too, that in my experience and working with my clients too, is that it's kind of an opening to this idea that you have the ability to be intuitive, but also to receive that information, but then not second guess it. So it's like developing that trust in that channel that's coming through. 

I think for a lot of people, that's a sticking point. Because I know early, early, early in my career, when I was developing my intuition and stuff, I would get up in my head and I'd start second guessing the information I was receiving. And then I would get completely distorted information that wasn't accurate at all. 

So tell me a little bit about how you guide people into this idea that, A, they can trust the information, but then they can have information coming through with actual clarity. 

Melissa Dodge:

Absolutely. I always say, if you're up in your head and you're spinning, you're not grounded. So step one is always getting super grounded, and that's different for everyone. It could be putting your feet in the grass. It could be a guided meditation. It could be floating in water. It's getting grounded. 

And then the other piece of the puzzle for me is we are the keepers of our own energy. And if you don't know what it feels like to be in your own energy, getting clear information is really hard. So being very mindful and creating practices for yourself or with a coach to clear your energy—clear your energy. You can't clear your energy enough these days. 

It's like you go out into the world and you have an interaction. There's all this sticky energy and that clouds your intuition and your ability to get clear information. 

Nancy Rush:

I think that's so true because I have a clearing partner that we trade energy clearings because I realized a long time ago that if my filter isn't clean, then I get distorted information, but I also don't have that presence, that ability to be grounded. 

And I love that you brought grounding up because I think especially now with the chaos that's happening in our world, that being grounded is more important than ever. And so I know I always invite my clients to actually every day consciously do something that really grounds them in and then checkpoints through the day, right? 

Melissa Dodge:

Absolutely. And it can be as simple as before you head into a meeting, you sit back, you take a couple of really beautiful, long breaths. Your breath is another great way to ground. And it's also that bridge between your body, your mind and your soul. Your intuition gets kind of cut off or you get up in your head when you're not breathing properly or it's shallow. 

Nancy Rush:

We have one of our other speakers is Adrienne Rivera. She's a breathwork expert. And so she's going to be bringing that. And I love that the breathwork—I agree, it's so important. And I find that if I'm not paying attention to my breath, I actually start holding my breath and then I get tense. You know, I get kind of like all worked up. And so breathing is everything right now. 

Melissa Dodge:

It absolutely is. Staying grounded, staying in your breath. All of those tools are so critical right now. 

Nancy Rush:

You know, one of the things that you said is that we're souls that are having a human experience. And I'm curious—you know, I think in my line of work, I see many people, business owners or C-level executives that forget that. And so tell me a little bit about what is your perspective on that and how could people actually bridge kind of this idea of like, we're all human beings having this experience, and yes, we are in business and stuff, but what happens when we truly remember who we are at a deeper level? Did that make sense? I hope so. 

Melissa Dodge:

Yes, when we—for you use the example of C-suite, when we are deeply rooted in who we are as a soul, having a human experience, you can lead with heart compassion. And I've been in corporations where the fabric—and I actually energetically see it as like a woven net over corporations. That's fear-based. It's all woven in and you can start to break that fear-based where there's no psychological safety. Everyone is ungrounded and no one's collaborating. 

If you know who you are, if you're in your intuition, you can notice that you can find ways that are more heart led. Because I always talk about, yes, we're still having a human experience, but we need to balance that head and the heart. Logic and intuition, divine masculine, divine feminine energy. That's all pieces of the puzzle for people right now. 

Nancy Rush:

I think that's so great that you're bringing that up because I see it too, is that we were actually talking about it before we started the recording, which is, you know, I think that people tend to isolate themselves. It's sort of like they hold themselves as separate from the business, but the truth is that they are both interconnected. 

And oh my gosh, I remember my early days of corporate—I worked in corporate for twenty plus years and it was fear based. It was terrible, you know, in the nineties in particular, there were layoffs and it was crazy time to be in corporate. 

And I think now, like my perspective of business has changed so much because it's for me, it's about inviting in a new paradigm of business, whether that is not rooted in separatism or hierarchy or fear. Instead, we're bringing in more love, more compassion, more unity into these aspects. And I think that people feel so much more fulfilled when they're operating from that mindset. What are your thoughts on that? 

Melissa Dodge:

No, I one hundred percent agree. Imagine everyone in the world was—is in their intuition. This is my dream where we're all balanced. And so then we can, you know, corporate now is no different than the nineties. That's still fear-based, but imagine a world where everyone is collaborating, working for the same goal, which might be, you know, raising the frequency, or it might be, you know, hitting some numbers in a corporate setting. 

But coming at it from a completely different lens other than this fear-based place we've been in for the last however many tens of thousands of years. 

Nancy Rush:

It reminds me, too, of the days when I felt like I couldn't embody my feminine aspects of myself. I had to really show up as being very masculine, which felt artificial, first of all, and just uncomfortable. But it's almost like for me, I'm seeing kind of this realignment where people can be who they truly are authentically and they don't live in fear of being judged for it. Do you see that too? 

Melissa Dodge: 

That's the dream. I would love to see more of that. Yes. It's starting. There's this sense that I see people who are closeted spiritualist. And so they're at home and they're like pulling their Oracle cards in the morning. And then they're putting that—taking that hat off and then going to work and really stepping into that toxic masculine. "I need to keep being aggressive and pushy" or whatever the characteristic is that they have stepped into in that persona. 

But imagine if you could integrate them both and show up in all facets of your life more balanced. Then that fear, that leading from fear doesn't need to happen. 

Nancy Rush:

It's funny that you said that about being in the closet. I used to joke about that for many, many, many years. I was so in the closet and I would exactly pull my Oracle cards and I would do my intuition stuff, but it was all at home behind the scenes, never in the corporate environment because it didn't really feel safe. But also I was uncertain about it. And so now it's like the complete polar opposite—it's like we're about as woo as you can get within reason. Because part of it too is the ability to marry both the practical with the woo aspects, of the spiritual aspects, because to me it's a beautiful blending that gets us exactly to where we want to be. 

And I'm curious—in my mind part of anchoring these principles in the business grid, if you will, has a lot to do with us taking a stand and representing ourselves as holding, I think, holding, for lack of a better description, holding a grid, if you will, of inviting people into these newer concepts, you know, leading from a place of heart rather than leading from a place of bureaucracy or hierarchy, right? So what are your thoughts on that too? 

Melissa Dodge:

It's back to that, not just blending, but the balance between that head and the heart, that balance between your logic and your intuition so that you can just lead. There's self-leadership. We're all leaders. There's a sense of we need to look—there's a hierarchy, look up to the people who are leading and it's a downward motion, but we're all leading ourselves into new energy and new frequencies and out of that fear. Because that's just going to keep dragging everyone down. Does that answer your question? 

Nancy Rush:

No, no, you did. It was totally... I'm curious though. Do you have any like practices? I guess I think I see this for people a lot. Is that really bringing that connection from the mind, you know, the intellect and the ego, but down into the heart? And I find that people often until they master it they sort of pop in, pop out because we are such a logic driven society first of all. And so I'm curious, do you have practices or suggestions for people that are really looking to bring greater connection but also greater mastery of this? 

Melissa Dodge:

That's a great question. There's so many tools. I use Oracle cards to really like ground myself into my own heart and open up my intuition. I do a lot of Reiki and energy healing with people so that they can... well back to the 3D human—regulate their nervous system, find that ability to get out of the hustle, the rat race, the stress, the fear. And once you have regulated your nervous system—and I do in part use, you know, Reiki and clearing your energy and all of those tools—it's easier to stay grounded and centered and lead from that heart center with compassion and kindness and collaboration and better balance all around. 

Nancy Rush:

I think I use similar tools as well. I have one of Colette Baron Reid's Oracle decks sitting right here on my desk. So awesome. Because it's a good way to kind of circumvent the mind, you know, that intellect can kind of be so in front. And so Oracle cards are definitely, I think, a beautiful way of just going around it completely and getting to the heart of what it is. 

And it's astonishing to me, you know, how accurate Oracle cards can be or tarot or whatever it is that you practice. But I do think that for many people out there—at least I will use myself as an example—I can always tell when I'm out of sync because I can tell when I'm not in my heart and when I'm not feeling... where I'm not really able to embrace coming from a place of compassion, because I mean, life happens, right? It just kind of is what it is. 

So having those different tools, and it's almost like in my mind, it's not so much—there's no one right tool. It's whatever is resonant for somebody, but the fact that they are using something to bring themselves into alignment, right? 

Melissa Dodge:

Absolutely. And it doesn't even have to be an external tool like Oracle cards. They're just my favorite because they're beautiful and they're fun and it keeps things light for the most part. But each individual can create their own routines. And then as their energy shifts and they spend more time in that heart, unity energy, then the tools might shift. 

Nancy Rush: 

Oh, yeah. And so when you are rooted and grounded and centered, all the things we keep talking about here, it's so much easier to realign and come back. Now, I also use a team in spirit is what I call them—spirit guides. And so part of my morning routine is calling them in. So that I do feel supported throughout my day. And when I lose... and then I call in my higher self. And so with all of these connections I have around me, for me, it is easier to stay into that balanced, more balanced state. 

Melissa Dodge:

And I think there's an interesting point that's coming up here, which is at least for me, and I see this often with my clients, is that we have to make a commitment to that practice, meaning it doesn't matter so much what it is, but that there is a commitment to, you know, co-creating with our spiritual guides or co-creating with the source or using our Oracle cards, meditating, getting grounded, whatever. Like I said, it doesn't matter so much what it is—it's that you're actually doing it. 

And at one point I had to actually schedule it in on my calendar because I was so busy that I would just put it off. And then what happened would be, I realized later in the day that I wasn't coming from the place of groundedness that I wanted to. So have you found the same thing with your folks, that they basically have got to kind of schedule it in? 

Melissa Dodge:

Yes, I actually have one client. She's so lovely. She's built herself this elaborate morning routine that she just loves. It's her journaling and her cards and she brings in some yoga and she does some meditation. And I mean, that sounds, you know, time consuming, but it's like twenty minutes. And I mean, some people don't have twenty minutes. It really is what works for you. It could be a five minute practice. You can start a five minute breath practice in bed just before you even get up and then go about your day, grab your coffee, and then maybe you do a couple minutes of journaling, pull a card. It really doesn't have to be time consuming because I think that's what I hear a lot is "I don't have time for that." 

Nancy Rush:

I hear that too. And I've experienced it. And the thing is, if we keep telling ourselves we don't have time, then we don't have time. So there is that. And then the other aspect of it is I found that once I got myself into the routine, because I did a similar thing where I created a routine that felt very good and aligned for me, then it's like it's become my comfortable spot, meaning that if I don't start my day with my routine, I feel a little off kilter, you know? 

Melissa Dodge: 

Yes. Off kilter. Yes, exactly. Yes. Or you're in your routine and you're like something feels off. And then you have to bring in a new tool, which I always find exciting. So for me, this time of year, because it is so lovely out for the most part, I incorporate going outside and putting my feet in the grass. Nice. At various points through the day. It gets me up from my desk. It takes me outside. I always say feet in the grass, face to the sun, even if it's for a couple breaths. 

Nancy Rush:

So I live in Wyoming, as you know, and our weather here is a little crazy sometimes. But what I do is I actually—we look at beautiful hills and cliffs with pine trees and stuff. It's really gorgeous. And so what I'll do is I'll actually sit here and I kind of like meditate, if you will. I tune into the spirit of the land and I bring that energy, that beautiful groundedness in. And literally, I can do it in seconds. 

And so that's the thing, too, that I always emphasize for people is the routines don't have to be, like you said, long and arduous. They can be quick. They can be super quick. And all it takes is, you know, thirty seconds to recenter and ground yourself. And I do find, too, that with my clients, many of them are so busy that they literally are like running ragged. But then giving themselves the gift of actually coming back to center is huge for them. 

Melissa Dodge: 

It's amazing, right? Well, back into center. And again, that balance—if you're like rushing, rushing, rushing in your back to back meetings, and you don't have, you know, a lunch break, a bathroom break, a pause to breathe, that alone, that routine alone will pull you out of your center. So creating a very intentional boundary throughout your day about like, "No, I'm leaving my desk to breathe." I have one client who hides in a different spot in her office and she'll do five minutes of breathing or a quick meditation or whatever she's feeling guided to do. And again, feeling guided to do is your intuition. So if you're feeling like this back to back meeting thing is not working, or "I don't have time, I don't have time," reframing that to if you don't take the time, what happens to your intuition? What happens to the fear? What happens to the stress? 

Nancy Rush:

I think it all increases, right? I mean, that's... I've had days where I've scheduled myself so tightly that I literally have no room to breathe and I've learned from experience that's the complete polar opposite of what I should do because I don't have the mental mastery, I don't have the emotional mastery that I'm seeking. And then when I am bringing in my intuition and/or co-creating with the business, I don't have the clarity because I'm still so scattered. And so I think for all the people out there in business that are like booking themselves back to back, one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself is creating a little spaciousness, even like to your point, even if it's five minutes of hiding in the closet to just... no email, no phone, nothing, right? 

Melissa Dodge:

Something. Absolutely. Right. Because all of that rushing, that's what I call frantic or frenetic energy. That's not your intuition. It can't exist in that tension. 

And so what recommendations might you have for somebody that really wants to more deeply co-create with their intuition, that really wants to build that trust that they have with their intuition, but really ultimately trusting themselves? What might be some suggestions that you have for them? 

Nancy Rush:

I'm a big fan of the morning routine like we've talked about, like really giving yourself the time to ease into your morning routine. And I know that's not possible for everyone. So maybe different pockets throughout the day or even in the evening as you're getting ready for bed. If it's an evening routine where you're intentionally clearing your energy, bringing in a little breath practice, a little journaling, a little card reading, bookending your day that way... it's what works for you. And I love working with my clients to help them create that—you know, what does it look like? What can you create for yourself to bring you back into your true essence, back into trusting yourself? Because in that rushing frenetic energy there's no space for your heart, your brain, your soul to all blend and connect. 

Melissa Dodge:

I see it so often. And I think that people, you know, we always talk about things like self-care and how, you know, we need to be looking out for ourselves and stuff. But to me, this is a form of self-care in that you are giving yourself the gift of spaciousness and time, right? And even if it is five minutes here and ten minutes there, but it's intentional. So really having the intention behind what it is. So that for me, this is a leadership concept, meaning that you are stepping into the idea of a leader who absolutely takes care of everybody else around them, but they understand that their needs are just as important as anybody else's. And so they prioritize, right? 

Plus, if you're not... I had a lovely discussion with one of the speakers yesterday and she was like, "I did a training and my energy was off because she was going through some family issues." And she said, "I could tell in leading this training that I was not at my best." And that was because she was struggling with these emotional aspects, but then not fully reconciling them before coming into being a presence as a leader, right? 

Nancy Rush:

And you make a good point. You said presence, but it's also about being present in the moment. And if your brain is rushing and it's gone off over there and it's gone off, you're not present in that now moment. And that's where your intuition lives. 

Melissa Dodge: 

It's one of my business mentors. She talks about it in terms of she calls it channeling, which for me is just simply... it's not like... it's more about just allowing the information to come in and having it for some people. It'll be just a knowing, some people will actually see or hear or, you know, the information comes in in different ways. Another tool that I love to use is automatic writing. Have you done that with your clients too? 

Nancy Rush:

Absolutely. People get all freaked out about automatic writing, but it's putting aside the ego. So one of the other things that I work with clients is like really visualize your ego like a shadow. And it comes out and you put it off to the side. You can go sit in the car for the day. It can go back to your house. But really putting that ego aside so that your soul and your intuition can come forward. 

Melissa Dodge:

Mm-hmm. And just like there's another tool, like really putting that ego aside. So your intuition can come up. It always feels to me like there's a grounding, of course, that starts first, but then there's an opening, which be it through Oracle cards or automatic writing or any of these other modalities that we've been talking about, but there's an opening to allow the information to come in. And for me, it's a very visceral feeling. I can really tell when my channel is open and I'm really allowing it to flow through versus when the monkey brain is getting in the way, right? 

Nancy Rush:

And so part of what I talked about with the Reiki, when you clear and you're opening up all of your chakras, that channel becomes so much easier to access. And the information can just flow through you, out your pen without that ego. 

Melissa Dodge:

Because you're right. When I first started doing automatic writing years and years ago, I had to get over that hump of like, I started writing something down and I'm like, "Am I just making this up?" or judging what I was writing down versus just allowing whatever was to come through. And when I was able to regulate that for myself, then what came through was so much more powerful because the ego is sort of set aside. So it's like, yeah, you could be a spectator, but you're not driving the car right now. 

Nancy Rush:

And that's the process. I always like to start with people with the prompt: "What does my soul need me to know today?" And so the first week you might just stare at that until you get comfortable with the actual... what does your soul need you to know and allowing whatever craziness that might feel crazy to come through. 

Melissa Dodge:

I think we could apply it too for if somebody's facing something like a situation with maybe their team or maybe they're not quite a hundred percent sure about some aspect of the business. I think too that giving themselves the spaciousness to open and say, "What wants to come through..." You phrase it so much better than me. But, you know, what wants to come through from the business about, you know, what's the right direction, what's the right... And then I often find that I have to coach people a little bit to not immediately go into trying to analyze or rely on like, "Oh, I need more data." It's like, again, it's that opening and then trusting what's coming through. Right. 

Nancy Rush:

Absolutely. And as you were talking, what was coming to mind for me is there's something called observational neutrality. It's that ability to just observe—observe your thoughts, observe the emotions and observe the information coming through without all of the judgment, ego. And that's also a practice because we're programmed in our human minds to put judgment on something, to analyze something and then overanalyze it and then spin on it. And solutions don't come through that way. We need that spaciousness in order to solve problems. 

Melissa Dodge:

I see it all the time. And the less spaciousness they have, the more people are confused or frustrated, and it kind of creates the sense of futility, right? That it also, in my mind, it keeps people looking externally. They look externally for validation. They look externally for confirmation versus coming into... if our channel is open, we can feel when something is in resonance, right? 

I always talk about it, too, in terms of people that are learning to use their intuition. It's like when you think of something, what does it feel like in your body? Does it feel like a thud, you know, like that feels gross? Or does it feel like light and airy and possibility and joyful? Right? And so just even being able to tune into those emotions that are coming up, I think that can make a big difference for people too. 

Nancy Rush:

And I use that exact same technique because emotions—well, physical emotions come through our physical body and emotions are information. And a lot of people get attached to the emotion like "What does this mean?" And think, think, think, not feel. And allow yourself to feel into, because again, your intuition can come through your feelings, your physical body. Everyone's different. But the sense that you can have the feeling without trying to squash it or judge it because oftentimes the judgment is "I shouldn't feel this way. There's no reason I should feel this way." And putting the ego aside so that you can be like, "Oh, I feel this way. I wonder... what if I look underneath that, what's next? What's the next layer?" And being more discerning, another way for your intuition to come up as opposed to latching on to the judgment of "I shouldn't feel this way." 

Melissa Dodge:

That's a really fantastic point that you're making, because truly, I think that people... it's easy for them to start to tip into judgment about whatever it is that's coming through. And it's really important to cultivate that neutrality to be able to just allow the information to flow through. Because the truth is, the more we allow it to flow through, the more impactful it is, the more accurate it is, I think. 

And I also love that you brought in like there's these different ways that intuition can come into you. And people will, at least in my experience, people do embrace their intuition in different ways. You know, some people will feel things, some people will see things, you know, all the clairs, right? But I do think that that's the other part of it is there's no one right way. It's all about more... rather than the specific way you're getting the information is allowing yourself to open. 

And the other part of what you were talking about too, is that this is a journey, right? It's not just a, you know, we're going to work on our intuition. We're going to master it. And then we're good to go. It's like, for me, there's been kind of an evolution where I started in one place and then there became refinement and now it's automatic, but it took a while to get there. Do you find that too? 

Nancy Rush:

Absolutely. It is that process. I mean, like I said at the beginning, we are born intuitive, but then it's kind of like this door gets slammed shut and then we don't really trust the door or maybe there's another door and we're like... and so giving yourself the time and the space—back to space again—to be in your intuition, to allow, to figure out how it flows through you. And that will evolve over time. 

It'll feel like back when I was first working on this, a lot of work. "Oh my God, this is a slog. Okay, it's worth it. There's things coming through. It's awesome." And now it's just a way of being and I don't even think about it. 

Melissa Dodge:

I had the exact same experience where first it was like I had to really kind of effort around it and then I would kind of question it—was what I'm getting... is this accurate? And then over time it just got smoother and faster and easier and now it's just so automatic that I don't even question when something comes through. I just... like you buying the lemons at the grocery store—that's so awesome because it's like it's just effortless from that perspective. 

And the thing too that I've found for myself that has given me greater confidence is that I feel like I have a trusted advisor, right? That in any aspect of my life, if I'm really coming from a place of neutrality... because we probably should point out that if somebody is in an emotional state or like, let's say that they're experiencing something, they may not get clear messages coming through because the emotion is driving rather than the neutral observer, right? 

Nancy Rush:

Yes. Yes, absolutely. 

Melissa Dodge:

And so but having that trusted advisor, for me, it's like... it's so much more joyful to co-create in that way, you know? And then I'm like, "Oh, I look at the stats, you know, the data, the concrete information"—that's all good and fine. But that doesn't run the show. It's the intuition for me that runs the show. 

Nancy Rush:

Absolutely. Because I had a coach who kept saying, "Well, what's the data behind that? What's the data behind that?" And I'm like, "I don't care. This is how I'm feeling and this is the direction I'm going." And that's how I run my life and my business. 

Melissa Dodge:

Well, and I think too that the beautiful part of this is when we can really hold this and we can really be in the flow of it, it does create greater ease and flow in life, right? Because it's a lot less efforting. And for me, somebody who's like, "Well, what's the data behind it?" sometimes there is no data behind it. That's the wild part of intuition, right? Sometimes there is no concrete data behind it. It's just a feeling of like, "I need to buy lemons. I have no idea why, but I need to buy lemons." 

Nancy Rush: 

Exactly. And I mean, that's such a simple example, but starting to play in that space for yourself where you're like, "I'm getting this sensation, this felt sense of this thing like I need to turn left instead of right" or "I need to turn the oven on and cook my whatever for twenty minutes even though the package says it's going to be done in ten." It's just the smallest ways of starting to tap in and just trust the information and then you can bring it into all facets of your life. 

Melissa Dodge:

I love that you brought that suggestion in, too, because it is easier often, I think, especially in the beginning for people if they kind of pick the easy things that... there's no skin in the game. Right. It's not a big deal if they get an intuitive hit and then it doesn't necessarily pan out in some form or fashion. And part of me, too, believes that's part of building that muscle, if you will, that it also enhances the trust that you have. Then the information comes more easily and so on and so forth. 

So I'm curious though, do you have a favorite Oracle deck that you love? 

Nancy Rush:

Oh my gosh. No, that's like asking me to pick a favorite child! I have—I also teach a class on how to read Oracle cards so I'm always gathering them up for that as well. I'm looking... I can't pick one. It's hard, I know! 

Melissa Dodge: 

We just moved here recently and my husband was commenting on the number of Oracle card decks and crystals that I had. It was like, "It's a little ridiculous." I was like, "Well..." Oh, well, I think right now in my office, I have... 

Nancy Rush:

Okay. You've got me beat. I don't have... but yeah, of course I did just come from curating because you know, when you move, it's like, you've got to offload stuff that no longer serves. So... 

Melissa Dodge:

Exactly. Well, I every Monday on social media will post a card reading. And so I tap into the energy of the cards. So I pick the... I always ask my higher self or guides or whatever, "What is the deck that will best serve my audience for that week?" So who knows what will come through, and I had a deck that was at the back of the shelf and hadn't used it in years. And that's the deck that came forward. So I rotate them, but it's that felt sense again—that felt sense when I'm picking up the deck that I know which ones I'm going to be using for myself or which ones I'm going to be using for others. 

Nancy Rush:

And I would imagine that if you were to ask anybody that was following you on social, they'd be like, "Oh my gosh, that was so aligned for me. Like that made..." You know, I have a couple of newsletters that I subscribe to, and one of them came through with this beautiful message. And I looked at it, I was like, "Oh my gosh, this is perfect for my client." And again, just using the intuition—the intuition said, "Send it to her," you know? And she came back just like, "That is the most amazing message. Thank you so much." But again, me listening to my intuition and feeling into what serves for the highest for this person, right? 

Melissa Dodge: 

Exactly. And those things are coming through you, even though it's in an email and you're like, "Oh, this came through me and now I'm passing it on." 

Nancy Rush:

Well, this has been amazing. Do you have any parting thoughts for them and for people that are wanting to master their intuition? 

Melissa Dodge: 

Just trust yourself. Stop testing. So there's a sense of "I need to test my intuition." Well, you trust that you feel something. You trust that you see something or hear something. So do the same with your intuition. It is an innate sense that we all have. 

Nancy Rush: 

I totally agree. That's part of that kind of getting out of the mind and coming more into the heart, which the heart trusts and the heart comes from love. Whereas the mind is like, "We need to analyze this. Are you sure? Are you one hundred percent sure you're giving me something accurate?" 

Melissa Dodge: 

But well, there's less risk if we have all the data—which isn't actually necessarily true, but our brains have been convinced that that is the way of the world and it's not. We're moving into more heart centered ways of being. 

Nancy Rush:

And I think too that it's exhausting after a while to keep iterating. Sometimes it's like just so fantastic to just be able to set it all down and just be like, "Okay, what wants to come through? Okay, I'm going to go with that." 

Melissa Dodge:

Yep. Exactly. And stop the spinning that makes life feel more stressful, harder than it needs to be. 

Nancy Rush:

No, it definitely doesn't need to be that way for sure. 

Melissa Dodge: 

Well, this has been a fantastic conversation. I would love for you to talk about your free gifts because I think they're super awesome. And then so people know how they can connect with you as well. 

Nancy Rush:

Absolutely. So on my website, which is MelissaDodge.com, I have free resources. And I have one that I love sharing with everyone. It's a free guided meditation that I channeled a couple of years ago. And it's really about you calling back your light and your power. And then I also have in my shop on my website, a free chakra ebook. So it will walk you through each of the seven chakras so that you can understand your own energy. And so if you're feeling something in your body or you're acting a certain way... well, it could be that one of your chakras is out of alignment. I always feel the energy is wonky for people. And so when you have an understanding of your own energy, it can support you in stepping more deeply into your intuition. 

Melissa Dodge: 

I think that's beautiful. I love that you're offering that. And I think too, for people really understanding their chakras can be so incredibly powerful. You know, it's all interconnected, right? But I think it's super powerful for people, especially if they aren't actively working with their chakras. The chakras are so important, you know, just keeping that purity, that alignment. 

Nancy Rush:

Exactly. Well, and when we talk about grounding, that's essentially us talking about your root chakra. 

Melissa Dodge: 

Yes. Love it. Well, we're offering a free gift as well. We're going to be doing a two to three hour immersion that is really anchoring people into the seven core pillars that shape a soul aligned, purpose driven business. And so we're going to be talking about things like using your intuition in business. We'll be talking about business as a mission versus just a business. And we're also going to be talking about visionary leadership. And then from there we'll be inviting people into one-on-one conversations that give us the ability to really kind of look at how their business is structured, how they are living their lives and what might be some areas that are blocking and limiting them from the success or just the fulfillment that they desire. So that's what we're offering. 

Nancy Rush:

Well, awesome. This is going to be so fantastic. I can't wait to share this with everybody. Thank you so much for being here today. I really appreciate it. 

Melissa Dodge: 

Thank you. This has been really fun and I hope that it helps people and that they got some tools out of this. 

Nancy Rush:

Oh, I one hundred percent. Definitely. All right. Thanks, Melissa.