Checking Your Proprioception
Can You Find Your Arms Without Looking?
Here’s a quick proprioceptive check I’ve been playing with lately—and it’s more revealing than you might expect. I was curious whether doing a LOT of holding of my 22 month grandson might have influenced my arms. It did:)
Try this:
Stand tall, eyes closed, arms in second position
Bring your index fingers together (in front of your body), then return to second
Repeat matching the middle, ring, and little fingers
Notice:
Do your fingers meet easily?
Do you miss or overshoot?
Do both arms feel even?
Why This Matters
Your brain uses proprioception to understand where your arms are in space.
If that map isn’t clear, it can show up as:
Uneven port de bras
Subtle shifts in turns
Extra tension as your body “tries” to find accuracy
Even small asymmetries here can influence how centered you actually are.
What I Noticed (and Tested)
In the first video, you’ll see the initial attempt—there’s a consistent miss.
Before jumping to stretching, I tried something simpler:
Lightly brushing the shoulders and arms
Slowing the movement down
In the second video, the accuracy improved. (click button to see videos on Vimeo)
What This Tells us
This wasn’t a mobility issue.
It was a mapping issue—the brain just needed clearer input.
Try This Approach
Start with 1 round as a check
Add light tactile input (brushing or tapping)
Move more slowly
Re-test
You’re not just practicing arm placement— you’re improving how clearly your brain knows where your arms are. This would be especially useful for pirouettes! I suspect this would have helped me even out my pirouettes on the 2 sides since I consistently 'missed' my fingers in the same way.
If it feels harder than expected, that’s not a problem—it’s useful information.
Warm regards,
Deborah