Nurture U Celebrates 20 Years of Bringing Zen to Rockaway

By Katie McFadden

Your Zen awaits at Nurture U Wellness. For 20 years, Samantha Cintron has been offering massage services on the Rockaway peninsula through Nurture U, and on Sunday, May 3, they’ll be celebrating that anniversary with a special treat for mom, or anyone, at a pre-Mother’s Day event.

In 2004, Cintron graduated from the Swedish Institute and began her private practice, calling it Nurture U Massage. In 2006, she attended her first market at West End Temple, where a young man won a raffle for a free massage, which he gifted to his grandmother. On May 21, 2006, Cintron worked her magic on that grandmother, and she never looked back, remaining as a loyal client today. And so began two decades of Cintron serving clients in Rockaway with Nurture U.

While building her private practice, in 2007, Cintron started working at five-star hotels in Manhattan like The Mandarin Oriental, The Ritz Carlton, The Waldorf and The Carlyle, where she even built a celebrity client list. And her Rockaway clients continued to grow, leading her to rent a space above the former Blue Bungalow shop on Beach 116th Street. In 2016, she took over that full space and collaborated with other wellness providers, adding services like acupuncture and mental health services, transforming Nurture U Massage into Nurture U Wellness, a one-stop shop for feeling good from the inside out.

In 2020, Nurture U Wellness relocated to a ground-floor space at 120-20 Rockaway Beach Boulevard, where they’ve successfully continued to make Rockaway feel good. Services include their signature massage, mama massage, reflexology, myofascial release, cupping massage, lymphatic drainage massage, hot stone and Thai massage, provided with the magic touch of Cintron and Christina Cruz, who has worked with her for eight years. Cruz has also brought yoga into the mix, with yoga and massage combos, featuring mat or chair yoga practices and a variety of 30-to-60-minute massages following. In addition to healing bodies, Nurture U works to heal minds with the mental health services provided by clinical psychologist Dr. Mary Beth Andrews.

Through her time working at high-end hotels, in 2012, Cintron was called to take on a last-minute job in the Hamptons. She later learned her client was famous singer Mariah Carey. The Queen of Christmas, known for “All I Want for Christmas is You,” was so impressed with Cintron’s work that she started calling her for more gigs, which would eventually take Cintron on a whirlwind adventure with the songstress, working as her personal massage therapist during tours in the States and abroad.

In recent years, the task of being a massage therapist to Mariah Carey, and even as assistant to her personal assistant, led Cintron to a three-year opportunity of traveling the world with her. With Cruz working alongside her for several years, Cintron knew Nurture U was in good hands, so she took the chance. “For the last three years, Christina has pretty much run the show. She worked her butt off and has helped build the practice to where it is now,” Cintron said.

While Cruz held down the Zen, Cintron was jet setting from Japan to the Philippines, Australia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Italy, Brazil and China over the last three years, in addition to working in Las Vegas and, of course, Carey’s Christmas tour across several states. While Mariah kept her busy, Cintron said she had plenty of time to enjoy the activities, cuisine, culture, and even a few massages for herself in each country. “I got to see a bit of the world,” she said.

But by February, Cintron was back home and back to serving Rockaway clients at Nurture U. And she’s back with a mission to make it even better. Cintron is seeking an acupuncturist to join the team to bring that service back to Nurture U and is interested in adding other wellness providers who can bring services other than massage.

And she’s hoping to bring new faces to Nurture U to try their current services, adding to the long list of regular clients who keep coming back for more relaxation. So as part of their 20th anniversary celebration, and with Mother’s Day coming up, on Sunday, May 3 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., all are welcome for a pre-Mother’s Day event featuring an interactive shopping market pop up with vendors like Gia Dane Designs, Rockaway Gems, Pottery by Susan, Enchanted Treasures and Soém Dessert Bar, offering everything from jewelry to pottery, crystals and dessert. Plus, there will be mini makeup sessions to get glammed up for $20, and 10-minute chair massage sessions with Christina for $20, to experience the touch of Nurture U for yourself. Every guest will also get a complimentary glass of champagne, hors d’oeuvres and a raffle ticket for a chance at a free full massage. You can call 347-727-7014 to RSVP for the event.

On 20 years of providing services in Rockaway, Cintron says, “It’s amazing. I’m proud that I was able to open a practice here, and 20 years later, we’re still here because I’ve had clients walk through that door, and they’ve been loyal and come back again and again. It’s a nice feeling to be in a community that is supportive and wants to take care of themselves. They look for a place they can trust and feel comfortable in, and I think what we’ve built here is that place. It feels peaceful here, it smells great, it’s beautiful and we offer a combination of services that leave people feeling good. As Christina says to clients before they enter, ‘Your Zen space awaits.’ We’re super excited and grateful to be doing this for 20 years.”

Nurture U Wellness is located at 120-20 Rockaway Beach Boulevard. To make an appointment or for more info, check out www.nurtureuwellness.com or call 347-727-7014.