Meet the Owner...
Ayanna Makalani, owner of HEAL: Pilates, spent her childhood competing as a gymnast and turned to modern dance in college. Introduced to Pilates during rehabilitation for knee surgery, she found it to be the most effective therapy for her. Pilates stabilized and strengthened her knee & guided her back into her body with patience and understanding. Ayanna's also used Pilates during pregnancy & to manage chronic back and neck pain. She is a certified instructor through BASI-Body Arts and Science International, and has been teaching Pilates since 2007.
Rebecca Redman
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Rebecca’s love of movement was shaped as a child in the world of competitive dance, but they transitioned to a life as an artist and touring musician after college. During this time, they developed persistent pain in their low back and knees, likely from a combination of biopsychosocial factors. An x-ray showed arthritis and Rebs was prescribed a future of pain management, but they rejected that and found Pilates to be surprisingly effective in decreasing their pain.
Rebs received a comprehensive Pilates certification from Body Harmonics and a clinical doctorate of occupational therapy from Samuel Merritt University, with expertise in pelvic floor rehabilitation. They are also a certified personal trainer specializing in pregnancy and postpartum corrective exercise and treatment of chronic pain.
Juna Fleer
Juna is a Bay Area native and grew up playing basketball and running track through her time at school in Albany. Being coached to push for a peak performance instead of nurturing her growing body took a toll, causing injuries & chronic pain. She became interested in other forms of fitness to help manage her back pain.
While studying for her degree in Feminist Studies at UC Santa Cruz, she pivoted from team sports to taking yoga and swimming classes to try and remain active without injury. To start her journey in the healing arts, she began taking massage and acupressure classes in UCSC’s Holistic Health Program and continued her massage training at MacKinnon Body Therapy Center in Oakland. Eventually, she found Pilates as the missing piece to both her recovery and career.
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Gabrielle Mullem
As a child, Gabby often felt awkward and out of sync in sports. Fortunately, life kept nudging her toward movement in unexpected ways—joining a Samba troupe in college in New Orleans, training at a martial arts dojo in NYC in her 20s, and a revelatory Pilates session nearly 25 years ago that relieved a stubborn back strain no doctor could fix. Since then, Pilates has been a constant in her life, helping her navigate everyday aches and pains as well as more complex health challenges following postpartum surgery.
Gabby has completed comprehensive instructor training through both Ellie Herman and Balanced Body programs, earning her Balanced Body certification in 2024. She has over seven years of experience teaching group and private Pilates & has spent years participating in and volunteering with surf-therapy trauma support groups.
Asia Joyner
Apprentice Instructor
Asia was always interested in fitness and ran track growing up. After exploring different forms of exercise, she found herself drawn to Pilates because it challenged her both physically and mentally. She loved how movements that appeared simple required strength, control, concentration, and a deeper awareness of her body. As she became more consistent with her practice, Pilates became more than a workout. It helped her with joint pain and stiffness & became a space where she could slow down, reconnect with herself, and appreciate what her body was capable of.
As her love for Pilates grew, Asia's curiosity eventually led her to starting Santa Rosa Junior College’s Pilates Comprehensive Instructor Certification.
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Samira Yeganegi
Samira is an administrative manager for HEAL. With past experience in small business management and human resources, she hopes to help the studio run smoothly and thrive.