The Stacking Method

Most tension isn’t just a muscle problem. It’s about how your body is handling gravity all day, every day.

Created from nearly three decades of hands-on work, The Stacking Method is about changing how your body carries weight, not just chasing tight spots.

Start with Neck and Shoulders Reset

About David:

After almost 30 years as a massage therapist, I started to notice the same patterns over and over again.

People would come in with neck and shoulder tension, low back fatigue, or a general sense that they were “carrying” the day around with them. I could help in the moment, but I knew that as soon as they left my table, the same forces would start acting on them again.

Over time, it became clear that the real issue wasn’t just one muscle or one joint. It was how their whole body was stacking itself against gravity day after day.

The Stacking Method grew out of that frustration and curiosity: a way to help people understand and adjust the patterns underneath their tension, not just get temporary relief.

What is The Stacking Method?

A few core ideas:

Gravity is always acting on you.
Every hour of every day, your body has to deal with that downward pull. When your posture is working with it, gravity helps hold you up. When it’s not, certain areas have to pick up the slack — and that’s usually where the tension starts.
Everything is held up by the thing below it.
Just like stacking blocks, each part of you relies on the support underneath. When one area isn’t giving enough support, another part often steps in and does more than it should.
Tension is a signal.
Neck and shoulder tightness, for example, often isn’t just a “neck problem.” It can be the part of you that’s shouting the loudest about what the rest of your body is doing underneath.

The Stacking Method is about noticing these patterns and giving your body simpler, more useful ways to hold itself up.

Who this is for:

This work is especially useful if you recognize yourself in any of these patterns:

You notice your neck and shoulders tightening as the day goes on, especially with screens or desk work.
You’ve tried stretching, massage, or strength work, but the same tension keeps coming back.
You catch yourself “collapsing” into your posture when you’re tired, then trying to fix it by forcing yourself upright.
You’re starting to pay more attention to how your body feels during everyday life, not just during workouts or appointments.
You want simple, realistic ways to change how you carry yourself, rather than chasing quick fixes.

Where to start

The first place I recommend starting is with the most common pattern I see: recurring neck and shoulder tension.