Yep, that's fairly well how I do it, too. I put myself in the pose and either use a mirror or 'feel' how it looks. That is, if it isn't a simple pose, like walking or whatnot. :-)

That method also helps with finer points, like placing hands properly. Keep a few odds and ends around as props so you can put your hands around/in/on/etc them so you know what it should look like. I, for example, use a 4 D-Cell Maglite to simulate the grip of a sword and figure out how my hand should fit around it.