'Tis the season for tight hips. If it's snowy where you live, and you're doing all kinds of Winter sports like skiing and snowboarding, I'm sure your whole lower body is feeling tight. The onset of Winter often causes people to exercise less, and not moving around can cause tight muscles, too. If you sit all day at a desk, that's not helping your hips either. I bet your body is just craving to do a Wide Squat.

Sanskrit Name: Malasana English Translation: Garland Pose Also Called: Wide Squat or Frog

Want to know how to do this pose? Then

• Stand with your feet slightly wider than your hips.
• Bend your knees and lower your hips down toward the ground. If your heels don't touch the ground, roll up a towel or the back of your mat and place it under your heels for support. If you or your studio has one, you can also use a wedge block [1].
• Bring your palms together at your heart center and firmly press your elbows against the inside of your knees. This will help to open your hips even further.
• Work on shifting weight into your heels and lengthening the crown of your head up towards the ceiling.
• Hold the pose for five deep breaths, or as long as you'd like. It's an intense stretch so once you've had enough, slowly straighten your legs and come into a Standing Forward Bend [2] to release your hips.