Yoga is an increasingly popular practice due to its many physical and psychological benefits. It can provide stress relief, improve posture, increase flexibility and build strength. Yoga’s relaxation techniques can lower blood pressure and thus benefit people at risk for heart disease and other chronic conditions. Many people are also drawn to yoga for its therapeutic effectiveness in helping practitioners develop coping skills and a positive mindset about life in general. In the United States alone, yoga has become a $7 billion industry and continues to flourish. However, along with yoga’s rise in commercialization is the climbing rate of injury as a result of improper yoga practice.

Bicycling is not only a wonderful way to enjoy the outdoors, but it is also becoming a more popular mode of transportation due to the benefits that it can bring. Bicycling is cost effective, promotes a healthy lifestyle, and increases a sense of community. But with these benefits come serious risks, and many cities are not equipped with roads and regulations to safely accommodate both cars and bikes. The risks bicyclists take can involve injury resulting from collisions with motorists, faulty equipment, and dangerous road conditions. It is important for motorists and bicyclists alike to know the rules of the road and to know their rights.

We all know that cleaning supplies should be left away from the kitchen, stored out of reach from children, and should not come in contact with our hands, eyes, or face. In 2012, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) issued a report pertaining to laundry detergent pods, the less-than-a-cubic inch plastic pouches that contain both liquid and powder detergents. Recently, Consumer Reports indicated that not only have there been hundreds of reported cases regarding health incidents in children that have come in contact with the pods, but that the pods are “too dangerous to recommend” for use in family homes where children live.

With summer upon us, and disconcerting news regarding shark attack reports in North Carolina, now is a good time to brush up on water safety for the whole family. While of course patrons of a beach, public park, or public pool have obligations to act reasonably, exercise caution, and follow any posted warning signs, this does not mean that the owners/managers of the premises cannot be held responsible in the event of an accident.