Before the advent of massage therapy, human backs knew of more knots than a sailor and experienced fewer relaxing waves than a beached whale in a kiddie pool. Loosen up with today's Groupon: for $50, you get a one-hour massage at Pangaea Massage in Cos Cob (up to a $110 value).

Pangaea Massage owner Clare Wilson, a licensed massage therapist with more than 12 years of well-kneaded experience, tends to the flesh of clients by wielding Swedish, deep-tissue, and sport-related strokes. In the integrated Swedish massage, Wilson combines several Scandinavian methods, including long, rolling strokes and the gentle humanism of filmmaker Ingmar Bergman. The deep-tissue treatment delves deeper in order to tenderize muscles and stimulate blood flow, while the sport massage addresses issues born out of repetitive movements and never-ending penny hunts. Customers put themselves in Wilson's hands amid diaphanous curtains, warm lighting, and tranquil earth tones.