I am very curious about the positioning of hands during various forms of meditation or even Integrative EMDR, using the Marcus Method. What is the current school of thought toward why certain hand positions appear to be or are more effective than others?

Thomas S.
It’s sort of the same concept as “power stances” being able to improve mood. In a stimulus response approach, the body tends to position itself certain ways (especially in posture) when we are happy or confident versus anxious or depressed. The body then associates these stances to these moods, so when the body is in a certain posture, it accidentally associates it with the mood and causes the mood to change. When doing certain hand positions for meditation, the body relates a more open position with a better mood versus a more closed position, which can improve the quality of the effects of the meditation.
Hatice Y.
I just keep my hands in the most comfortable position for me. Which is palms up or down on my legs. I do not know the significance or any methodology for how one should place their hands.
Sofie Z.
The prayer position is thought under eastern philosophy to put your mind in the correct state also u are putting the acupressure points together that stimulate joy. If laying down hands flat out to the side of body or if sitting up not in prayer then just gently resting on lap to allow relaxation
Carmen F.
I don’t know about Marcus, but when I did EMDR I held unto these little black round discs that would vibrate and light up, one after the other, and that’s what I would track with my eyes. So my hands were resting on the chairs armrests, comfortably. When I meditate I put one hand on my heart and the other on my belly or solar plex where I tend to feel most anxiety. Idk why but It was recommended and for whatever reason its effective, comforting & i like it
Lorraine E.
I honestly don’t know a lot about the Marcus Method or anything sophisticated about hand positioning, but personally I do the common yogic hand position jnana mudra and it makes me feel like I’m holding onto the peace and center within me that is further cultivated from mindfulness meditation. I feel like I’m using a meditative hand pose that helps balance the process of meditation for myself. So maybe using certain hand positions according to the meditation practice is more about tailoring the purpose of said meditation practice to bring about the desired effect in a more effective way.