In Western cultures, particularly the United States, people do not incorporate squatting into their daily activities and routines.

          When practicing squatting you would like it if you could squat with your feet and knees together, heels on the ground, buttocks close to your heels, and your arms around your legs, though this position is not readily achievable for many of us.

          It's fine to have your feet separated and pointing slightly outward at an angle when practicing squatting.   Try to have the skin of your abdomen in firm contact with the skin of your thighs and your knees in your armpits.   Feel your abdomen lengthen along the tops of your thighs.   If your heels do not reach the ground you can place a rolled up blanket underneath them for stability (mainly as a safety precaution for balance).   If you are near the edge of getting your heels to touch the ground, you can hold a counter-weight in your hands, such as a sandbag, to allow you to lower your heels, or you can place your back against a wall and walk your heels as close to the wall as possible.

          Relax the front tendons of your ankles.   Do not let them stick out, evidence of tensing the muscles around your shins to pull you forward.

          One aim of squatting is to limber your ankles, calves, and hips to begin to approach full Malasana with your torso between your legs and your forehead close to the floor.

          Practice squatting as one of your "airport poses" (like Tadansana and Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana with your foot on a chair or ledge).   Do it whenever possible when you are waiting around for something like the bus.   Whenever you drop an item or pet a dog, you have a chance to practice your squatting.