INSTRUCTORS

Ruthie is the owner and an instructor for The Balance Culture. She majored in Social Work at Southeastern University where she played 4 years of collegiate volleyball. She was a gymnast for 12 years before starting her volleyball career. Ruthie has been passionate about fitness and nutrition her whole life. Her dream has been to create a place where women are encouraged and empowered to be their best selves through fitness, nutrition, and community. She sees The Balance Culture as the kind of positive place where women can work to achieve their goals together! Ruthie is certified through the Athletics Fitness Association of America (AFAA) as a Group Fitness instructor and Mat Pilates instructor, she is a certified Spin instructor though Mad Dogg Athletics and a barre instructor certified through Barre Intensity, she is also a 200 hour RYT.

During a class with Ruthie you can expect to be challenged to push yourself while having fun, her classes are advanced but with modifications offered throughout. She loves her husband and two boys and anything they do together! She loves living in Lakeland and seeing our city grow and thrive!

Stephanie is the Owner & Instructor for Balance Culture Winter Haven. She majored in Business Management and earned her MBA from Southeastern University. Stephanie is certified through the Athletics Fitness Association of America (AFAA) as a Group Fitness instructor, Barre Intensity, and Mad Dogg Athletics for Spin. She teaches barre, Spin, Pilates, stretch, hip-hop and strength training. Her background is in dance and has toured, competed, and performed with studios and companies in New York and Florida.

Stephanie’s favorite part about being an instructor is empowering people with “normal schedules” to live extraordinary lives through health and wellness. Her classes will improve your endurance, strengthen your body and empower your workout at any age or fitness level.

Connect with Steph: steph@thebalanceculture.com

While practicing yoga with Annalee, you can expect to feel good. She intends for you to be challenged through a simple and fluid approach to yoga.

Annalee loves getting lost in books, aimlessly exploring art museums, writing, and traveling the world with her husband.

Erin is a yoga instructor at The Balance Culture. She is a University of Florida graduate (Go Gators!) with a degree in occupational therapy. Her career has included rehabilitating people with neurologic conditions such as stroke, Parkinson’s, etc, orthopedic trauma and injuries of the brain and spinal cord since 2002. Erin is happy to guide you on modifications for injury and injury prevention for effective yoga sessions. Her yoga classes will teach you basic poses coordinated with breathing to increase strength, balance, flexibility and mental well-being. She began using yoga with her occupational therapy clients as a treatment modality in 2014, but really became passionate about yoga and its use for wellness in 2015 when she joined a safe space for her own practice called The Balance Culture. Yoga has changed her own life in so many positive ways and she is passionate about sharing that yoga feeling with others. She is a RYT 500 with the Yoga Alliance. Her favorite things (besides yoga) are nature (mountains, hiking, beaches, gardening) and spending time with her family, friends and dogs!

Now, Rilee is a City Editor for LALtoday. When she’s not writing about Lakeland, she’s taking classes at The Balance Culture. Prior to taking group fitness classes at the studio, Rilee had a hard time finding a fitness routine that worked with her challenging schedule and felt encouraging and doable. Without a background in exercise science or athletics, Rilee didn’t think it would be possible to keep up in classes. With the encouragement of many members of the BC team, Rilee got certified through Barre Intensity in 2020 and completed her Pilates training in 2021, making the transition from intern to instructor. Now, Rilee is excited to bring the same encouragement that gave her confidence to Balance Culture members.

You can expect a community atmosphere in Rilee’s classes. With plenty of encouragement and accommodations, you’ll be able to find the balance between challenging yourself and listening to your body.

Rilee enjoys taking yoga classes at the studio to unwind, spending time with her friends and husband, and being outdoors in her free time.

Karen has been involved in health and wellness since a young age. Participating in high school sports helped develop her love for staying active. She has a degree in Business Administration which she utilized during a multi-year sales career. Yoga has become an integral part of her over-all health regimen and a vital outlet in maintaining a balanced lifestyle.

Beginning her personal yoga practice over five years ago, opened her mind to the physical, spiritual, emotional, and mental benefits of yoga. Teaching yoga was not something she envisioned herself doing. However, life events altered her journey. Karen has completed 500+ hours of yoga training and is a RYT-500. Her passion is to help her community learn the importance of “slowing down” and “being still”. Karen’s teaching style includes taking the time to settle the mind and body, focusing on a key element and pose(s) and ending with Restorative options, preparing students for surrendered rest. She offers variations including a challenging option for those who desire to expand their practice.

In her spare time, Karen trains alongside her husband for endurance races. They also enjoy traveling, paddle boarding, hiking, college basketball and spending time with their adult children. She enjoys a cup of Caribou or Lucky Goat coffee, all things nutty and chocolate and a spontaneous moment playing the piano.

Grace Laychak is an instructor at the balance culture. She graduated from Southeastern University with a degree in Ministerial Leadership. After she graduated she began working at Southeastern as an Enrollment Counselor.

Grace is certified through _______ and has been interested in fitness as long as she can remember. Grace was a competitive cheerleader from elementary school through college.

As someone who is passionate about people and fitness, Graces dream is to simply help women become confident in who they are. In Graces classes you can expect to be celebrated, encouraged and motivated to be the best that YOU can be!

Grace is originally from Connecticut, so she appreciates all FL has to offer! You can find her staring at palm trees, visiting any and every coffee shop with friends and always on her way to a beach!

Hailey Shaffer is an instructor at The Balance Culture. She is originally from Seattle, Washington and moved to Lakeland to attend Southeastern University. She graduated from Southeastern University with an MBA and an undergraduate degree in Marketing. After graduation she began working in the Marketing field.

During college, she discovered The Balance Culture and fell in love with the environment. She grew up playing competitive sports and had not found an uplifting environment in fitness since she stopped playing. The Balance Culture became an escape from studying and a part of her routine.

Recently she started coaching soccer at a local high school and found a passion for empowering women through fitness. Hailey’s dream as an instructor to have every woman feel empowered walking out of the studio. In Hailey’s classes you can expect to feel challenged and encouraged. She encourages you to push your limits and walk out feeling empowered!

Besides working out, Hailey enjoys snow skiing, wakeboarding and anything active outdoors. On a rainy Saturday morning you can find her with a good book and a cup of coffee!

Mariah is an instructor at The Balance Culture. She graduated from Southeastern University with a degree in Multidisciplinary Studies and minors in psychology and elementary education. While in college, Mariah was an intern at The Balance Culture where she found a love for BC and it’s special community.

Mariah currently works in sales at a local company where she gets to build relationships with a diverse variety of businesses and have fun selling branded goods.

She was on her college track and cross country team and after graduating, missed having a team that equipped and encouraged each other. This brought her back to BC to attend classes and led her to instructing. She is passionate about fitness and the benefits of it, and loves to bring women together through it. 

She is certified as a group fitness trainer and is now teaching HIIT. In class with Mariah, you can expect encouragement, a fun energetic environment, and a safe place to learn and grow in your fitness.

A few of Mariah’s favorite things are being outside, spending time with friends and family, and a day full of adventure.