Who We Are

MA, SEP, CPT, RYT-500

Raisa Punkki is a Certified Pilates Teacher, Certified Yoga Teacher and Somatic Experiencing® Practitioner (SEP) with over 35 years of expertise in teaching various movement practices. She holds a BA in Dance Pedagogy and an MA in Dance from University of Arts, Finland.

Raisa was first introduced to Yoga in 1988 and to Pilates in 1991. She found that the benefits of these practices were extremely helpful to keep her body-mind in good shape while touring the world as a performing dance artist and when teaching actors and dancers at the colleges and universities. 

After moving to San Francisco in 2003, Raisa studied Pilates with Jennifer Stacey from 2003-2021 and got certified from Ms Stacey’s vigorous Teacher Training program in 2006. She also had a great privilege to study with Joseph Pilates’ students Kathy Grant and Ron Fletcher among others. In 2005 Raisa became a business partner at the Peak Performance Pilates studios in San Francisco, where she still continues to teach the private movement sessions. Raisa is also teaching Hatha Yoga classes at The Integral Yoga Institute in San Francisco.

Being a life long student, she is constantly educating herself in body-mind sciences. In 2022 she graduated from three year Somatic Experiencing® trauma therapy program. As an SEP® she helps the clients who’s body’s natural flow have been interrupted by a traumatic event to restore their innate ability to be in the body and to get back to the flow of movement.

Raisa is working with people from various backgrounds, abilities and conditions designing every session according to the needs and abilities of every person.

Raisa fully dives into her teaching, calmly, kindly and skillfully guiding her students to new discoveries about their body-mind connection. She combines her over 35 years of expertise in movement and body-mind education under the umbrella of IdaFlow LLC.

Master Pilates Instructor

Rachel Harrison began her career in bodywork and movement therapy as a massage therapist, specializing in Swedish and Shiatsu techniques for over 8 years. In 2003, she pursued Pilates training at ITT (Integrated Teacher Training) under the guidance of renowned instructors Madeline Black and Jean Sullivan.

Rachel's dedication to her craft led her to continually expand her expertise, attending PMA (Pilates Method Alliance) conferences and learning from skilled professionals and Pilates Elders. She earned her Master Pilates Training certification through The Pilates Center in Boulder, CO, solidifying her advanced knowledge in the field.

With a wealth of experience, Rachel served as Pilates Director at both Club One and Active Wellness in San Francisco and taught Mat Pilates at Fitness SF. In 2021, she became a co-owner of Peak Performance Pilates SF, where she continues to share her playful and mindful approach to Pilates, helping clients achieve balance, strength, and body awareness.

At Peak Performance Pilates San Francisco, we believe in the power of Pilates to transform lives. Our founder, Jane, discovered Pilates after years of struggling with chronic pain and was amazed at the results. She was inspired to share this practice with others and started Peak Performance Pilates San Francisco to help people live pain-free lives.