The EMACS meta key is normally mapped by default to escape. I am too stubborn to remap escape to another key, such as caps-lock, even for use within EMACS alone.
But I find myself no longer raising my left elbow and shoulder so as to hit escape with my pinky — I have begun using the middle finger of my left hand, and that seems satisfactory.
One of the advantages of the vi editor is said to be that hand
movement is minimized. But I am not so sure I like that — being
perfectly immobile except for my mind and my fingertips generally brings
me stress, and moving around relieves it. That is also why I use a
standing desk: if my whole body can fidget a little, my mind fidgets
much less. And I always find that body movement aids memory and
visualization.