A more comfortable upright posture
The cue may help a person find a more upright way of organising the head, shoulders and trunk that feels comfortable and remains easy to move from.
LEARN / THE MANUBRIUM LIFT®
One cue.
Everyday possibilities.
A simple, low-effort posture awareness cue developed by Dr David Shahar. Learn its purpose and explore how it can fit into the life you already live.
DEMONSTRATION LESSON
The Manubrium Lift®
Approved demonstration, matching written instructions, captions and transcript to be added.
Full lesson not yet availableTHE PURPOSE OF THE CUE
Awareness you can return to.
The manubrium is the upper part of the breastbone. The Manubrium Lift uses this area as the focus of a simple physical cue, intended to remain gentle and adaptable during ordinary activities.
It belongs within Dr Shahar’s Better Load Sharing™ framework: helping people organise their posture and use support with the aim of sharing everyday demands more effectively.
Familiarity can develop through repeated use. The aim is to make the cue easier to access while leaving room for breathing, movement and the activity at hand.
INFORMED BY CLINICAL EXPERIENCE
What the cue may help with.
Dr Shahar has found the Manubrium Lift useful in his clinical work over many years. That experience informs the practical benefits he looks for when helping an individual patient use the cue.
Less perceived effort or tension
Dr Shahar’s clinical experience informs its use to help ease postural effort, muscle tension or discomfort. The response varies with the person and the task.
A practical focus for daily care
One clear point of attention can make posture care more approachable. The aim is to help people recognise and revisit a useful change during ordinary activities.
These are clinical observations and intended benefits, rather than results established in published trials of the Manubrium Lift. They help guide individual use and questions for further research. Read how clinical experience and research fit together.
LEARNING THE METHOD
A simple cue deserves clear teaching.
The complete lesson will pair Dr Shahar’s approved demonstration with the same instructions in writing. Use that lesson to learn the direction of the cue and how it applies to you.
This introduction explains the purpose and everyday context. The Reform or Deform guide now introduces the two steps from Dr Shahar’s original poster. The complete demonstration lesson is still being prepared; the everyday examples below are for use once you have learned the method.
EVERYDAY APPLICATION
Let a familiar moment remind you.
Choose an ordinary moment that is easy to recognise. Once you have learned the cue, that moment can become a prompt to revisit it alongside your support and opportunities to move.
At your desk
Starting a familiar desk task can be a useful prompt. Notice your reach, the support for your arms and your room to move. Using the cue does not replace adjusting an awkward setup.
Review your desk setup ↗Using your phone
Before a longer phone task, notice where you hold the device and whether your arms have support. Choose a comfortable viewing position rather than holding your arms high with effort.
Before a journey
While safely parked, take a moment to consider your seat support and reach to the controls. Keep your attention on driving once under way. As a passenger, settling into your seat can be a familiar reminder.
Standing or walking
A familiar standing task or the start of a walk can remind you to revisit what you have learned. Allow your movement to remain natural and adaptable to your surroundings.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Gentle, adaptable, ongoing.
Do I need to pull my shoulders back and down?
The intended cue is gentle. It is not an instruction to force your shoulder blades together or hold them down. Follow the approved lesson for how the cue is taught, rather than adding a separate shoulder squeeze.
Does ongoing use mean holding one fixed pose?
No. Perpetual Posture™ describes an ongoing, adaptive relationship with the task and gravity. The cue can be renewed when useful while allowing movement and rest. Continued physical use is different from constant conscious attention or a rigid position held all day.
How much effort should I use?
Low effort is the teaching principle. Comfortable breathing, speaking and freedom to move matter more than aiming for a percentage of maximum effort. The full lesson will explain the cue without asking you to brace or hold your breath.
What if it feels uncomfortable?
Ease off or release the cue rather than pushing harder. Stop if it causes pain or worsens symptoms. If symptoms persist or recur, seek individual guidance from a qualified healthcare professional.
General movement guidance: NHS inform, when to stop neck exercises. This is general safety advice, not a study of the Manubrium Lift. Source checked 2 November 2026.
Is the cue a replacement for exercise or individual care?
It is one part of daily posture care. Appropriate support, movement, physical capacity, recovery and your individual clinical needs still matter. A brief renewal of the cue is not a substitute for the rest of that routine.
How do clinical experience and research fit together?
Clinical observation helps Dr Shahar recognise useful responses in individual patients and refine how he teaches the cue. Research can test how consistently those benefits occur, for whom and through which mechanisms. Long-term prevention, superiority over other cues and measured changes in internal spinal loads still require direct testing. Explore the evidence and clinical proposals.
THE DR POSTURE APP
Explore the planned app
Support for a developing routine.
The app is in development as a daily posture companion and Manubrium Lift teacher. Planned learning resources, configurable reminders and check-ins will support practice. Photo comparison will provide a visual reference, rather than a posture score or a measure of tissue health.
Store availability is not yet confirmed. Verified download links will appear on the app page when available.
Page updated 2 November 2026 · Full technique lesson pending