The Art of "Snudging" Protecting Your Energy in Midlife with Amanda Testa

What if your relationship doesn't need more fixing… but more flirting? If you love each other but lately feel more like roommates, co-parents, or logistics managers than lovers, this episode is for you.  Tune into this episode to discover: The sneaky way loving couples become roommates without even realizing it Why one tiny shift in how you connect can change the whole trajectory of your relationship The surprising reason "we need more date nights" may not actually be the answer How to know when you truly need a deeper conversation , and when you might just need to stop processing and go have some fun Why flirting matters in long-term love even when sex isn't the goal The everyday moments that quietly rebuild chemistry, affection, and that "oh yeah, I really like you" feeling The simple 5% question that can help your relationship feel more alive this week and more! Enjoy!

Lately I've been thinking a lot about the art of "snudging" , a concept I learned from Alexandra Pope and Sjanie Hugo Wurlitzer. It means doing the bare minimum necessary, cutting out all the extra bullshit, and getting really honest about what actually deserves your precious energy. After decades of doing, achieving, caring for everyone, improving ourselves, healing ourselves, optimizing ourselves and generally trying to keep ALL THE THINGS moving… menopause can arrive with a pretty clear message: I am no longer available for doing the f&^$ing most.  This is powerful wisdom. In this episode, I'm sharing a little about what I've been up to over the past year, homeschooling, traveling through Italy, working with amazing clients, deepening my skills through advanced trainings, having more fun with friends, taking care of myself, and intentionally slowing down. And what I've realized is that while I may be doing less, I think I'm living more. I'm talking about letting "good enough" actually be good enough, becoming more discerning about where your life force goes, and making more room for pleasure, connection, creativity, rest and the people and experiences that matter most. In this episode, you'll discover: What "snudging" means and why I'm loving this concept in midlife Why menopause can make us suddenly much less tolerant of things that drain us The difference between doing less and caring less Why your body may be asking you to stop overriding yourself What slowing down has looked like in my own life over the past year Why depth can sometimes matter more than constant growth and expansion The sneaky ways we turn our bodies, businesses, relationships and lives into giant self improvement projects Why pleasure and fun don't always need to be productive or therapeutic How to decide what actually deserves your energy Why "good enough" might be one of the most liberating practices of midlife And a more. If you're tired of feeling like you should be doing more, fixing more, achieving more or somehow becoming a better version of yourself before you're allowed to enjoy your life… Consider this your permission slip. I'd love to hear how this lands for you, please reply to this email and let me know!! Cheers to Snudging Y'all!! Much love, Amanda

What if nourishment wasn't just about food… but about vitality, pleasure, devotion, and the way we love ourselves? In this deeply nourishing conversation, Amanda is joined by Leigh Senna , founder of KitchenWise, Appalachian homesteader, former women's coach, and creator of The Cook Along: Rebel Home Ec for Grown-Ass Women. Together, they explore why the kitchen , a place so many women experience as exhausting and overwhelming, may actually hold the doorway back to feminine wisdom, sensuality, connection, and aliveness. Leigh shares the deeply personal story of how profound grief, loss, and illness transformed her relationship with nourishment, and how her kitchen became a sanctuary during the hardest years of her life. This conversation weaves together food, pleasure, nervous system healing, ritual, homesteading, modern motherhood, grief, beauty, feminine embodiment, and the quiet rebellion of choosing to truly nourish yourself in a culture built on depletion and convenience. In This Episode, You'll Discover: • Why so many women feel disconnected, overwhelmed, or resentful around food • The surprising connection between nourishment, libido, mood, energy, and Feminine Fire • How modern convenience culture disconnects us from pleasure, vitality, and community • Why "women's work" has been historically devalued , and how reclaiming nourishment becomes radical • How cooking can shift from obligation into ritual, creativity, sensuality, and self-devotion • Amanda shares what she discovered during her time in Italy about slowing down, food, and feeling truly nourished • Leigh introduces her revolutionary Cook Along experience, a playful, communal, deeply human reimagining of how women gather, cook, and care for themselves together "What if the most radical thing a woman could do today was to learn how to truly feed herself?" — Leigh Senna This episode is an invitation to soften the pressure, reconnect to what truly feeds you, and remember that pleasure can live in the simplest moments, even while chopping vegetables in your kitchen. If you've been craving more ease, vitality, connection, beauty, and devotion in your life, this conversation will feel like a warm exhale for your nervous system. Connect with Leigh Senna Join The Cook Along: The Cook Along Experience Instagram:@leighsenna  Email: [email protected] Connect with Amanda Testa Grab Your Sensuality Activation Kit HERE! Instagram:@abtesta www.amandatesta.com

What's in it for him when it comes to relationship work? In this episode of the Find Your Feminine Fire Podcast, Amanda is joined by her husband, Dr. Mark Testa, for an honest conversation about why many men feel hesitant, resistant, or uninterested in "working on the relationship",  and why it may be one of the most impactful choices they can make. Together, they explore: Why relationship work often feels like "her thing" How avoidance and distraction quietly erode intimacy What men actually gain from intentional connection Why your relationship affects emotional environment you live in every day How simple, practical practices can restore closeness and ease This episode reframes intimacy as leadership, self-respect, and creating a life that feels good to live inside. Whether your relationship feels solid, strained, or somewhere in between, this conversation offers a grounded, no nonsense perspective on connection, partnership, and being on the same team again. 🎧 Listen in and discover why tending your relationship benefits everything else in your life. Want to experience how this works? Join them for a FREE Guided Date Night,  Renew Your Relationship on 1/29 HERE to get a taste.

Have you ever looked at your partner and thought: We're fine… but I don't feel in love the way I used to. In this episode of the Find Your Feminine Fire Podcast, Amanda Testa shares why so many loving, committed couples slowly drift apart, and what actually brings desire, closeness, and joy back online. This episode is for you if: You miss feeling butterflies, tingles, or desire You love your partner but feel bored, distant, or disconnected You've tried books, podcasts, or therapy — and still feel stuck You want a relationship that feels nourishing, alive, and fun again In this episode, Amanda explores: Why the real relationship problem isn't communication or sex — it's desire How couples drift apart without meaning to The "wait and see" trap that keeps intimacy temporary Why insight alone doesn't create lasting connection How nervous-system patterns silently drive conflict and shutdown The difference between rupture and repair (and why repair matters most) Why making connection fun is not optional — it's essential How to create a shared relationship vision for 2026 Simple reflection questions to help you grow, goal-set, and reconnect together Amanda also shares a powerful, practical ritual you can do at home to: Remember what you already love about each other Reignite warmth and appreciation Create momentum toward the relationship you actually want Ready for deeper support? Amanda is hosting a free Relationship Renewal Ritual — a guided, private, at-home experience to help you reconnect, reset patterns, and start 2026 feeling closer. January 29th | 6:00 PM MT  Replay available  100% private & anonymous 👉 Save your spot: https://amandatesta.com/renew Because when your relationship feels good, everything feels easier. Resources & Links 🔥 Free Sensuality Activation: amandatesta.com/thegoods 💌 Relationship Renewal Ritual: amandatesta.com/renew  

Is menopause a breakdown or a breakthrough? In this paradigm-shifting conversation, Amanda sits down with Red School founders Alexandra Pope and Sjanie Hugo Wurlitzer to explore menopause as a sacred rite of passage, not a crisis. Drawing from their book, Wise Power, they offer a radical reframing of the menopausal journey—one rooted in purpose, sovereignty, and deep inner leadership. What you'll discover in this episode: Why menopause is not an ending, but a powerful awakening The 5 phases of menopause—and how to navigate them How rest, repair, and surrender are essential to your transformation What "snudging" is—and why it's your new best friend The surprising leadership potential that menopause unlocks Listen now and begin honoring this potent transition as the initiation it truly is.  

If you've ever felt like pleasure isn't accessible to you anymore—or maybe never truly was—this episode will change how you see everything. In this inspiring and unfiltered conversation, Amanda is joined by somatic wellness educator and retreat leader Pamela Madsen to explore the true power of erotic reawakening at every age. Pamela shares the realities of helping thousands of women reclaim desire and delight through her Back to the Body method, and what it really means to give yourself permission to receive. In this episode: Why erotic exploration is never too late—even in your 60s, 70s, or 80s What it looks like to rewire your body's pleasure patterns through immersive retreats The surprising hunger women carry after decades of tending to others How Pamela uses her own erotic energy as a source of creativity, clarity, and leadership 🎧 Listen now and reconnect with what turns you on—body, soul, and life.  

Are you navigating perimenopause, menopause, or other midlife transitions and feeling disconnected from your sexuality?  In this illuminating episode, Amanda speaks with world-renowned sexologist Dr. Juliana Hauser about experiencing this chapter not as a decline, but as one of your most sexually sovereign yet. Dr. Hauser shares her personal journey through a hysterectomy, introduces the concept of "agency" as your North Star through change, and offers a refreshing perspective on holistic sexuality that goes far beyond just having sex.  You'll discover how to develop tolerance for ambiguity, communicate with loved ones about what you're experiencing, and redefine pleasure on your own terms.  Whether you're feeling overwhelmed by hormonal shifts, questioning your identity, or simply curious about reclaiming your sexual confidence, this conversation provides both practical wisdom and permission to embrace the full spectrum of your sensual self in midlife. You can find out more about Dr. Juliana here. 💖 Bring Your Desire back with my Sensual Self-Discovery Journal—a sacred space where you can embark on a journey of self-exploration, self-love, and embracing your sensuality. In this journal, we will delve deep into the beautiful tapestry of your desires, senses, and the unique expression of your sensual self. Get It HERE!

What happens when you climb the ladder of success, check all the boxes, and still feel completely disconnected from yourself? In this raw and hilarious conversation, Amanda sits down with Erin Keating—creator of the Hotter Than Ever podcast—to talk midlife reinvention, sexual reclamation, and what it really takes to stop abandoning yourself. Erin shares her unfiltered story of awakening after a sexless marriage, a COVID hospitalization, a layoff, and turning 50—all of which cracked her open to a wildly new and more authentic life. In this episode: The moment Erin realized something had to change How one potent question changed everything What happens when women stop abandoning themselves and reclaim their voice How Erin reconnected to her pleasure after a decade of disconnection Why reclaiming your weirdness might be the most powerful move of midlife   Listen now to hear how one woman went from overworked to unapologetically alive.   💖 Bring Your Desire back with my Sensual Self-Discovery Journal—a sacred space where you can embark on a journey of self-exploration, self-love, and embracing your sensuality. In this journal, we will delve deep into the beautiful tapestry of your desires, senses, and the unique expression of your sensual self. Get It HERE!

What does it really feel like to navigate midlife when everything around—and inside—you is changing? In this honest, unfiltered solo episode, Amanda shares what's been real in her world lately. From the physical and emotional shifts of perimenopause to the grief of disconnection and the power of reclaiming pleasure, this conversation is both confessional and comforting. Amanda explores what it means to ride the waves of change with as much grace, grit, and gentleness as possible. If you've been feeling the pull to do less, to reconnect, or to surrender into the unknown—this episode is a soft place to land. 💖 Bring Your Desire back with my SensualSelf-Discovery Journal—a sacred space where you can embark on a journey of self-exploration, self-love, and embracing your sensuality. In this journal, we will delve deep into the beautiful tapestry of your desires, senses, and the unique expression of your sensual self. Get It HERE!