Massages are a time-honored method of alleviating stress, much like the ancient art of crafting origami swans out of midterm exams. Ace relaxation with today's Groupon: for $29, you get a one-hour acupressure table massage at Palace Herbal Spa (a $59 value). This Groupon is valid at Palace Herbal Spa's locations in Escondido and La Mesa.

Palace Herbal Spa's founders and certified massage therapists May and Jone draw upon knowledge and traditional techniques accumulated during extensive training and experience in Asia. During the one-hour acupressure table massage, the skilled muscle molder seeks to promote relaxation and overall wellness by considering ancient concepts of internal energy that allow patrons to discard external backpacks full of batteries. Long, gliding Swedish strokes seep into soft tissue to coax out tension and ease muscular miscreants into sublime submission. Sojourners into Palace Herbal Spa find themselves ensconced by paper privacy screens amidst bamboo shoots, traditional Eastern art, and soothing lavender- and lime-hued walls. Clients relax in the Japanese shoji-style massage rooms surrounded by paper-globe lamps while quieting their minds, or meditating on which Civil War general’s beard would make the softest loofah.