Bikram Yoga at the Sweatbox | Capitol Hill

Instructors

Laura Culberg Laura Culberg, MSW
SweatBox Co-Owner
(CPR Certified)
Laura has been practicing Bikram Method Yoga since 1994. She completed Bikram's Teacher Training in Los Angeles in 2001. In her spare time, Laura is an aspiring gardener and an avid baker and craftaholic. Laura also enjoys watching her chickens and her child run around her backyard. In her past professional life, Laura was a social worker specializing in work with adolescent girls. As the mother of a young daughter, Laura is a strong advocate of yoga for children, especially girls. Laura's favorite part of teaching Bikram Yoga is the daily gift of watching her students evolve physically, emotionally and spiritually.

Beth Shafer Beth Shafer
General Manager
Beth has been practicing Bikram Yoga since 2008. The position as General Manager brought her to the yoga and she is thankful. Practicing Bikram Yoga has given Beth more energy. The focus of the practice has been a great stress reliever and allows her to focus more clearly in all areas of her life. Beth has many years of management experience. She has been the manager and buyer of Denali Park Chalet's gift shops,manager and buyer for a resort retail company, and the general manager of a local retail company with 11 stores. When not at the studio Beth enjoys camping with her son and husband.

Suzanne Babin Suzanne Babin
(CPR Certified)
Suzanne Babin has been practicing Bikram yoga since 2004 and completed the Bikram Yoga Teacher Training in Hawaii in Spring 2007. Suzanne admits being amazed by the wonderful benefits of Bikram yoga which she has personally experienced as well as observed within others. Suzanne strongly believes that a dedicated practice can positively change anyone. This belief lead her to commit to becoming a Bikram instructor in hopes of sharing the potential that Bikram yoga withholds. In addition to instructing, Suzanne spends much of her time as a graduate student at Seattle Pacific University studying Marriage and Family Therapy. Suzanne will graduate from this program in 2010 and ideally hopes to someday incorporate her therapy work with yoga. Suzanne is also passionate for music, the outdoors, and spending quality time with family and friends.

Meghan Lewis Meghan Lewis
Meghan began practicing Bikram Yoga in 1997. After 5 years of dedicated practice, she decided to deepen her experience of this yoga by attending teacher training. The healing benefits of Bikram Yoga were so immense and the changes she experienced within herself were so profound that she was compelled to share this practice with others. After 10 years of practice, Meghan is continually amazed that the emotional, mental, spiritual, and physical benefits keep coming from these 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises! She completed teacher training in the Fall of 2002, and has been teaching ever since. For many years, Meghan has also taught children with autism. She and her husband enjoy traveling near and far, adoring their kitties, and loving life.

Brooke Rawlings Brooke Rawlings
Hi beautiful Yogis and Yoginis. I have been a Bikram Yoga instructor since Spring 2008 and I absolutely love it. After teaching in Las Vegas and Salt Lake City, I moved back to the Seattle area in October of 2009 and am so happy to be back in the Northwest. Teacher Training was the most amazing thing I have ever done. The stress and anxiety brought on by my many years in corporate America prompted me to take my first Bikram Yoga class. I instantly fell in love with the yoga, and more importantly, fell in love with how I felt after class. I bought an annual package after my second yoga class....sounds crazy, right? Best decision I ever made for myself. My journey has been nothing if not amazing. I am so thankful to my teachers and friends who encouraged me to go to training, supported me through training and who continue to support me every day. Peace and Love, Brooke

Frankie Grausam Frankie Grausam
SweatBox Co-Owner
(CPR Certified)
Frankie started practicing Bikram yoga in 1999. She was brought to this practice on a dare from a friend who knew she would love it but she didn't feel it would be challenging enough for her. To her amazement and slight emabarrassment, she admitted to her friend that she was now in love with Bikram yoga. In the fall of 2000, Frankie went to Bikram yoga teacher training in LA where her passion for this style of yoga grew more intense. After teaching for a year in Seattle she and Laura Culberg opened their first Bikram studio in the Capitol Hill neighborhood and 7 years later opened their second studio in Shoreline Washington. Frankie has always wanted to help people improve their lives physically and mentally. Teaching Bikram yoga is the perfect medium for employing this passion. Watching true transformation in her students is the greatest gift she can experience.

Kristen Hanks Kristen Hanks
Kristen has been practicing Bikram yoga since 2000. Her desire to share the benefits with others led her to obtain her teacher's certification from Bikram's Yoga College of India in Los Angeles in 2005. When she's not at The SweatBox, Kristen also works at a veterinary hospital, putting to use her love of critters big and small. She also loves music, Ethiopian food and sitting in a sun patch.

Frani Assaf Frani Assaf
Frani studied dance for over 12 years and had no idea all the stretching she had done was actually yoga, until she came to the practice in 1997. Frani tried various disciplines of yoga before taking her first Bikram yoga class in 2000. In three months of practicing Bikram yoga, Frani saw more positive change in her life (emotionally, as well as phyically) than in all her years of yoga and dance combined. The impact was so profound, she knew right away that this was something she wanted to share with as many people as she could. Frani attended Bikram's Teacher Training in Spring 2003 and has been teaching ever since. Frani truly believes that becoming a yoga teacher is the most honorable thing she has ever done. By practicing yoga, you not only make yourself better, you make the world a better place to live. Frani's other passions include bicycling, live music, traveling with her husband and young daughter and enjoying the lush wonderland that is the Pacific Northwest.

Nikki Kim Nikki Kim
(CPR Certified)
Nikki has practiced Bikram Yoga since 2008, and completed her training in spring 2009 at Palm Springs. She first started her practice with zero flexibility, zero patience, zero everything. As she kept her practice countinously, it was amazing to see how Bikram Yoga could change her body, mind, even her personality. Bikram Yoga has added great benefit to her life, both mentally and physically, and brought her vitality, passion, patience, concentration and discipline. Nikki always appreciates students' time to come practice at the SweatBox, and gives them good energy and her best care. Other than practicing Bikram Yoga, Nikki also likes to hike, walk in the park, and work out at the gym.

Gary Smith Gary Smith
Gary has been practicing Bikram Yoga since 2005. After seeing his wife Lisa come home from a Bikram class completely drenched in sweat and exhausted, he thought, "ok .... i can do this." During his first class (with Frankie), he tried to crawled out the door halfway through. She dragged him back in and he never left. Now he has the honor and privilege of teaching this healing yoga to others. Gary graduated from Bikram's Yoga College of India Winter of 2009. When not teaching Bikram Yoga, Gary enjoys being scratched by his cat and playing punk rock music.