I've not heard of warnings before about crossing your arms or legs. You'd probably have to ask the people who are issuing those warnings for a definitive answer.

Generally speaking, the body is split down a vertical axis so that the right side has one energy polarity and the left side has another.

In various forms of mystical "contact" healing, you can use this difference in polarity to bring about certain effects within your own body or that of someone else you wish to influence into a more harmonized bodily condition.

And sometimes it is helpful during that contact healing to ask your subject to separate the hands and feet to keep those polarities distinct while that energy transfer takes place - it just makes it more effective.

So, for me in those situations, I usually ask the subject to sit in an upright chair with their feet flat on the floor and each hand face down on each respective knee...it achieves that separation of polarity.

There are other times when it is useful to harmonize those polarities deliberately to achieve a more balanced mental/physical state such as when in a state of meditation or prayer.

Bringing the hands together in front of the body, near the Solar Plexus region, achieves that effect, a posture that may be familiar to some religious people...

Personally, I generally don't cross my arms or legs when relaxing to enter some kind of altered state because it's just more comfortable not to...no other reason. If you are in a situation where it's more comfortable to do so, I would just go ahead and do it.

Your mental intent in those situations is far more powerful than any physical posture you adopt.

Regarding your question, I have a fairly, simple general rule for dealing with warnings that has served me pretty well for many years now.

Here is the rule...

Ignore the warnings, trust yourself :)

You'll always find someone, somewhere warning you about this or that. For everyone warning you not to do something, you'll almost certainly find someone, somewhere warning you what will happen if you don't do it :)

Better to just follow your own feelings about what is or is not right for you.

There is nothing good or bad except for what you decide to BE good or bad.

Since all possibilities exist, that only means that nothing can be LABELED!

We seem to pick and choose what makes sense to us and our egos. Hence we build a belief system on such falsities. This is the difference between truth and perception.

Have fun with it.

The only thing I remember reading or hearing about crossing the arms or legs was in reference to Psych-klink text in the book the Biology of Belief by Bruce Lipton. They use it for therapeutic purposes. The book was great by the way.

I can recall that folding the arms over ones' chest as a child was a form of negative behavior, and the child was usually discipline for this kind of negative behavior, because as it appears, the adults considered it to be disrespectful in nature. Also, it was considered to be un-lady like for girls to sit with their feet cross, and it was a rule that young ladies should sit with their feet, and knees together, and their skirts covering over their knees!

Of course none of these beliefs, were indeed true for the purpose, but were passed on from generation, so it was an accepted norm not to fold your arms across your chest, and not to cross your knees!

Essentially, we have surpassed that state of consciousness, so we know that it is okay to do whatever makes us comfortable!

from what i know crossing body part is for protection! in martial art you cross arm to stop a stick coming at you!in some book about obe astral projection magic and spirit they say to cross body part to protect your self! you use the cross to protect from vampire etc. it stop some stuff from reaching you! but if you feel comfortable with cross arm or leg it is good for you!listen to your self! it is like people they say eat this don't eat that etc. you know what you like and need better then anny one else! so do as you will!