How to use your Little-Known Sixth Sense (and it's not what you think)

Have you ever tripped on a step you didn’t see but felt and caught yourself before you fell? Have you scratched your back without needing a mirror? Or wiggled your toes in the dark without looking down?

You can thank your proprioception for that.

So What Is Proprioception?

The word “proprioception” comes from Latin: proprius (one’s own) and perception (awareness). Literally, it means “awareness of oneself.” Not in a philosophical way but in a where-is-my-elbow-right-now? kind of way. Proprioception is your body’s internal GPS. A behind-the-scenes sense that helps you know where you are in space. It’s the reason you can touch your nose with your eyes closed. Or sip tea without dribbling it down your chin. Or walk across a room without staring at your feet. And when it’s working well, it lets you move gracefully, feel balanced and stay safe. When it’s not… well, you might feel clumsy, stiff and more unsure on your feet. Proprioception is sometimes called our sixth sense. It operates alongside touch, taste, sight, smell and hearing, but we rarely notice it because it’s always there running in the background. Proprioception helps us:

• Balance on one foot

• Climb stairs without thinking

• Coordinate small, subtle movements like typing or knitting

• Stay upright when someone bumps into us

Why Is Proprioception So Useful—Especially As We Age?

We tend to notice when our vision is blurry. Or when our hearing fades. But proprioception? When this fades (say due to injury, illness, aging or lack of movement variety), you might notice your balance isn’t what it used to be. You may feel hesitant stepping off curbs, more cautious walking in the dark or worried about falling.

Your brain has to work harder to keep you safe. You become more rigid, cautious and tense. Which ironically makes you more prone to falls or injury.

But when proprioception is refreshed and sharpened balance improves, coordination returns and confidence grows.

Here’s what improving proprioception can do:

• Reduce the risk of falling (and the fear of falling)

• Improve posture and alignment

• Make everyday movements feel easier

• Support recovery from injury or surgery

• Help you trust your body again
  

And because proprioception lives in the background, upgrading it can feel subtle but deeply powerful.

Proprioception vs. Mindfulness: Same Same but Different

You may be wondering: is proprioception just another word for body awareness?

Not quite. Mindfulness brings your attention to your body. Proprioception is your body’s ongoing awareness of itself, even when you're not paying attention.

The two play well together. In Feldenkrais, you’re gently encouraged to tune into proprioceptive signals. To feel what’s happening inside your body, not just outside. You might notice how the weight shifts in your pelvis when you roll. Or how your shoulder blade glides as your arm lifts.

And each time you notice more, your brain gets better at noticing.

This creates a feedback loop of improvement where movement feels easier because you’re sensing more clearly and you’re sensing more clearly because you’re moving in more refined ways.

A Sensory Upgrade

Like any other system in your body, proprioception can be improved with gentle, varied, consistent use.

In a Feldenkrais “Not Yoga” class, we don’t focus on stretching or strengthening. Instead, we focus on sensing (this is why the official name for the classes is Awareness Through Movement®).

It’s not about doing things right, straining or working hard to get there. It’s about learning to notice. Feldenkrais "Not Yoga" lessons are designed to enhance proprioception, because they:

• Slow things down (so you can sense more)

• Reduce effort (so you’re not distracted by tension)

• Add variation (so your brain gets fresh information)

• Encourage curiosity (so your attention stays engaged)
  

This process improves your proprioception often without you even realising it. You walk out of class taller, smoother, more at ease. Your movements feel more coordinated. That’s your proprioception working better.

The Nobel Prize Moment

Here’s a bit of science stuff for the nerds out there who enjoy this stuff (feel free to skip down if it's not your thing!).

In 2017, scientists Ardem Patapoutian and David Julius were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their groundbreaking work in understanding how the body senses touch, temperature and proprioception.

They discovered the mechanical sensors in our cells that respond to pressure, stretch and position. These tiny molecular sensors are embedded in your skin, muscles, joints and tendons and they continuously send information to your brain about where your body is and how it’s moving.

This recognition by the Nobel committee was a huge validation of something Moshe Feldenkrais had already understood decades earlier.

He didn’t know about ion channels and molecular mechanoreceptors, but he deeply understood that improving how we sense ourselves could improve how we move, how we feel and even how we think.

Tapping Into Your Body’s Sixth Sense

The beauty is that it helps you rediscover this hidden sense and reconnect with your body in a way that’s empowering, easeful and lasting.

You don’t have to push. You don’t have to perform. You just have to be willing to slow down, feel, and learn.

Because it’s never too late to move better and feel more at home in your own body.

Here are just a few ways my clients have noticed proprioceptive improvements:

• “I can walk across gravel now without stiffening my ankles or freaking out about falling.”

• “I don’t need to grab the handrail anymore when I go down stairs.”

• “I finally figured out how to reverse the car without twisting my neck like a pretzel.”

• “I feel more stable when playing with my grandchildren.”
  

These changes aren’t from muscle bulk or willpower. They’re from better internal communication, from enhanced proprioception.

Want to Try It?

Come to a class, or book a 1-1 session to explore your superpower sixth sense in real time.  Your internal GPS will thank you.