Good Neighbor Podcast Live

Longer, Younger: The Green Stone Spa Approach

• Garfield Bowen & Christina Popa-Ricketts

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What if “getting older” isn’t the reason you feel stiff, spent, and stuck? We sit down with Christina Popa-Ricketts of Green Stone Spa to unpack a grounded approach to longevity that starts with skilled human touch, precise bodywork, and practical recovery rhythms anyone can apply. Her journey—from near burnout to a thriving, community-rooted practice—fuels a method that treats pain as a solvable pattern, not an inevitable fate.

Christina breaks down how her early deep-tissue focus evolved into a psychosomatic lens, where breath, safety, and nervous system tone guide technique. She clears up a stubborn industry confusion—the difference between “masseuse” and licensed massage therapist—while sharing candid stories that show how force alone misses the mark. Instead, she pairs intelligent pressure with pacing so your body can integrate change. The result is care that improves sleep, loosens guarded tissue, and restores range of motion long after the session ends.

We also explore how Green Stone Spa attracts clients without hype: word of mouth, honest Instagram education, and the simple proof of how you feel when you walk out. Christina’s private work stretches across states and countries under NDAs, supporting people under intense cognitive and emotional loads—interpreters, caregivers, frequent travelers—who need fast, sustainable resets. For New Yorkers, the spa at 133 Water Street is designed as an oasis on a budget: try different therapists, find your match, and build a cadence that protects your energy.

If you’re curious about practical longevity, how touch rewires stress, and why decline isn’t a foregone conclusion, this conversation delivers clear, respectful guidance. Ready to feel lighter and move better? Subscribe, share with a friend who needs a reset, and leave a review to tell us what shifted for you.

For more information on Green Stone Spa, visit GreenStoneSpa.com or call 718-852-5029. 

SPEAKER_00:

This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Garfield Bowen.

SPEAKER_03:

Welcome to Good Neighbor Podcast Live. Are you looking for a medical spa? Well, one may be closer than you think. Today we have the good pleasure of introducing your good neighbor, Christina Papa Riggetz with Greenstone Spa. Christina, how are you doing today?

SPEAKER_02:

Hi, I am Greg Garfield. Thank you so much and super excited to be your guest today.

SPEAKER_03:

Listen, we are all ready to hear all about you and your um business. Tell us about your company.

SPEAKER_02:

Company is called Greenstone Spa, but forget about me or my business. It's mainly about the people. It's mainly about the people that we work with. And the only reason we're still there and loved is because of all the benefit that we're able to do to the people. And probably with the people together afterwards, because what we do to them benefits us what they're doing afterwards and how they're connected with their businesses and their families all together.

SPEAKER_03:

Okay, so uh Christina, how did you get into this space? Tell us about your journey.

SPEAKER_02:

Okay, so into the space, absolutely accident, accidentally, because at one point in my in my life when I was way younger, I was very strong and I didn't know what to do with it.

SPEAKER_03:

When I say there's some right- you're you're you're you're young right now, so let's stop it right there.

SPEAKER_02:

Speaking of, we're gonna keep going about youth further on, but the reason why I look young is because I tapped and cracked accidentally the code into how I can make the lifespan of a human being, any of us, longer and with more quality. I know it sounds like five science fiction, but it's not. I'm leaving proof of that. I'm purposely not wearing any makeup, anything. This is this is me, this is how I am, this is what I look like. And if I show you pictures of myself about seven and nine years ago, I looked way older, what is the word these days. But really, is my body was hitting a certain point where it could not rejuvenate itself anymore. And here is where I would gladly tell more to the audience, uh, and I would gladly educate everybody into something that I accidentally discovered on my path on refusing to die before time. So, yes, it sounds scary, but really it's more like a blessing. You know, God gives us certain challenges for a reason. Every time there is something insanely difficult or hard, like a hardship coming in your life, it comes for a purpose. Something's trying to come or enter your life that you're not understanding. And often when you're refusing it, you either give up or there's that moment, you know, where it's like, oh my god, that's what it was about. Now I get it. Now I want to take the others because I worked that path of dark. Now I want to help others come across or help them bring them back. Does that make sense?

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah. Um, what are some of the top myths and misconceptions in your space there in the medical spa space?

SPEAKER_02:

Midconcept misconception, I'm sorry?

SPEAKER_03:

Myths and misconceptions.

SPEAKER_02:

Myths and conceptions that I hear often, uh, it's about um, oh my god, I'm in pain, or I feel that way because I'm getting old. So it's almost like it's normal to me to feel like that. Just maintain my state and let me go in peace. This is the sound sounds right. We hear this so often, or like, oh, I'm just getting older. I accepted that fact. Don't don't accept that fact. Human body, you can go up to 120. Let me show you. Just gotta take care of yourself a little bit more in depth. You can do it.

SPEAKER_03:

Okay, I'm done.

SPEAKER_02:

And the very basic misconception about the spy, you're not gonna believe. People are still calling sometimes asking if we have uh showers or if we do happy endings. Thank god it's way less done these days. Yeah, but funny, funny story. I'll tell you, I'll tell you a funny story. I'll tell you a funny story. Wait, don't hold on, hold the thought, hold the thought, hold the thought. You're gonna like this.

SPEAKER_03:

We have kids listening to this. I know, I know. PG.

SPEAKER_02:

PG is fine. So there's uh once came a uh patient, very much a spasm, super tight. And back in the days I was more muscular. Like my I had different understanding throughout the period of my evolution, of understanding how um the body works and what's the best approach. So I used to work uh skeletal, structural, muscular, myotascial, now I work psychosomatic, like I tapped deeper in. So came this like construction guy super tight, and I went deep into the tissue. When I say deep, I meant I refurbished the guy. So at the end, the phrase that he says just cracked me up. So he says, Listen, there is a happy ending to your session. I said, do tell. He said, I'm so happy that it ended. So that that that tells about the evolution of my work. And that text tells about a mindset that back in the days used to be. You know, speaking of massage therapy and MSUS, do you know the difference?

SPEAKER_03:

Uh no, you want to explain?

SPEAKER_02:

I'm gonna crack the code for everybody. So back in the days, it started in about 1890s, uh, when there were MSUS offices by the major ports, including New York, right? So those those were unfortunately the um how do you call those? So it's with PG-rated, right? Though those were like more pleasure houses, right? Were considered to be work done on the body but with a different scope. Those were called masseuses. And unfortunately, so many people up to this day don't know the difference between masseuse and massage therapist. That's when who does who does, let's say when somebody calls me masseuse, I don't really get an attitude anymore. I just understand that most people most people don't know, and I don't really always take the time to explain. But that was the miss another misconcept about it.

SPEAKER_03:

So, Christina, we know that marketing is the heart of every business. Um, how would you define your target audience and how you're currently attracting them?

SPEAKER_02:

Targeted audience, well, there's two different ways I'm attracting them. So, one is the office, because I started back in the days, that's my baby, that's the facility where I started the path. And when it became super busy, um the therapists took over. I started handpicking talents that were working there uh as independent contractors, and also slowly teaching some of them or trying to give them more of tools that I gained by almost dying, but not everybody has to go for that experience. One so marketing there, it's trying to speak more on Instagram um about what we do and what not actually we do what therapy and human touch that cannot be substituted by anything does to a human body. And personally, I work private-based mainly, uh, home visits. I'm not just home visits, I'm flying from state to state and I'm flying to other countries. Um I'm that blessed, I would say. Because out of every darkness, something great comes up, and because I was able to put myself on feet, I'm able to put others who are like on an emergency, interpreters, uh usually and very often burn out burned out interpreters or super tired mothers that are also interpreters, or wives of interpreters, and then I work with the whole family, including the mother and father-in-law and the kids. So, how I promote in the office is word of mouth mainly, and Instagram, and personally through recommendations. Especially that I hold a lot of NDA's accounts, so that's recommendation based only.

SPEAKER_03:

I I I must say I've interviewed a handful of uh med spa owners, and I've never met anybody as fascinating as as yourself. Let me ask you a question. Have you ever thought of doing your own podcast?

SPEAKER_02:

Uh no, but under guidance, I would gladly. I have I ask, I'm being asked very interesting questions. Like the other night I was at the at the charity event for the black opera singers of Afro Afro-Americans, sorry. And um, I still don't know how to properly, like my boyfriend is from Africa, and and I saw it's like it's so difficult for me. This color stuff that comes in, but it's so realistic, and I'm seeing it in the world. I still don't know, and I don't like the differentiations by that. It's so like a sore, and I don't know how to address it properly yet, but I'll get there. Point being, I was talking to a PhD of 91 years old, and he asked me a question, Are you lecturing? And I'm looking, I'm like, he's not joking, right? And now you're asking me, Are you thinking to do a podcast? So I guess there is some more talent over there besides what I'm doing. So, question is no, but I definitely want to. Um, under guidance and supervision, it means to me a lot. I would definitely do it.

SPEAKER_03:

Listen, we're about out of time, but I want you to leave our listeners with one thing, if just nothing else, one thing they should remember about uh Greenstone Spa.

SPEAKER_02:

One thing that I remember, wait, what do you mean?

SPEAKER_03:

One thing that you want our listeners to remember about Greenstone Spa? Greenstone Spa, yes.

SPEAKER_02:

It's your oasis, it's your vacation of uh one hour, 30 minutes, 45, 1 hour, 120. When you need to get away fast and on a budget and you don't know where, and uh um Philippines are too far or Maldives are too far, come to us. It's the atmosphere, it's the people, it's the approach. You'll feel it. Sometimes that's all you need to recharge. And I know how New York can get under your skin. I know it. I'm a New Yorker.

SPEAKER_03:

Listen, there's this one thing on everybody's lips right now, and that's how how can we get more information on Greenstone Spa?

SPEAKER_02:

I'm gonna do a podcast, I guess, and I'm gonna start talking about it more. This is how, and the your questions are like on the point. Uh, but also it's not how you can know about it more, it's how you can experience 133 Water Street, Greenstone Spa. All you need to do is walk to us, the let the after that leave it to us, and make sure you try every therapist, they're all different, like fingerprints, with one common goal in mind: your well-being. And if your case is extra difficult, I'm here excited to take it in. These are not hands, these are tools.

SPEAKER_03:

Is there uh like a website or phone number you'd like to share?

SPEAKER_02:

Absolutely. There is a website, it's greenstonespa.com. We are also on Instagram and uh we're on Facebook, we're on LinkedIn, and it's 718-852-5029.

SPEAKER_03:

Well, Christina, it's been a pleasure having you on the show. I wish you and your business the very best moving forward.

SPEAKER_01:

Thank you so much. It was such a pleasure. This is my first podcast. How do you feel about that?

SPEAKER_00:

Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor Podcast. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to gnplive.com. That's gnplive.com or call eight seven seven nine thour three three zero two.