About Us

Mary Vanesko

Mary has been an occupational therapist for close to two decades with expertise in neonatal care, maternal health, and infant health. Mary founded Well-Nurtured Development and Well-Fit Studio because she has a goal of bringing quality occupational therapy and wellness services to the NEPA area. Mary has traveled all over the country for her OT career, and this eventually led her to establish her yoga practice and to her “sculpt” yoga certification. While being a busy and passionate business owner, Mary’s yoga practice and routine keeps her grounded and balanced through life’s ebbs & flows!

“I am passionate about sharing my practice with others and creating a safe space to help students achieve their personal fitness & wellness goals”.

Kendra Vanesko

Kendra is a 200hr Certified Yoga Instructor who has been teaching yoga since 2019. As a passionate woman of health and wellness she discovered yoga was the perfect addition to her lifestyle and wanted to help others learn too. She originally practiced for the physical benefits but then realized how much yoga also helped with anxiety, nervous system, slowing down, and mindfulness. As a teacher she aims to help her students focus on strengthening their body, renewing their mind, and filling their soul. 

Her typical class is a vinyasa style that starts slow, challenges you, and allows for relaxation at the end! She also has experience with kids yoga that includes all typical and neurodivergent children! Kendra always makes sure to give modifications and cues to help you through your practice. She enjoys helping others start their yoga journey as a beginner!

Outside of Yoga, Kendra is an energetic, out-going person who loves traveling, golfing, being outside in nature, trying new foods & hanging out with friends and family. 

She also works as a sales and marketing representative. Yoga is the perfect balance in her life!

Marilyn Giambra

Marilyn Giambra has been practicing and teaching yoga for over 23 years. She started practicing yoga at the J.C.C. in Wilkes-Barre in March 2003 and fell in love with it due to her wonderful teacher, Rose Motto. She got certified as a Hatha Yoga Instructor on 3/12/2005 at Temple University with AAAISMA and started teaching classes at the Kingston Senior Center until opening her own studio in 2008, “The Yoga Studio”. 

“The Yoga Studio” is currently located in Wyoming Ave., Wyoming, PA and was voted the “Best Yoga Studio of Greater Pittston” in 2025 by the Sunday Dispatch. Marilyn is also certified in Zumba, Young Living Essential Oils- Aroma Yoga Program, and began teaching chair yoga in 2023. A fun fact about Marilyn is that she loves to cook and despite being of Polish descent, she prepares and cooks mostly Italian and Sicilian cuisine.

Amy Balent

Amy completed her 200 hour yoga certification at Zen Barre with Living Flow. She also completed 15 hours of restorative yoga training. Amy has a kids yoga certification and has been teaching children and families in a variety of settings including schools, daycares, private events, birthday parties and community groups. She hopes to create a fun atmosphere by encouraging individual growth, health and wellness. Kids yoga is so special to her because she can teach mindfulness and movement skills at a young age and they carry these tools into their future. 

She has been working as a pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist for almost 20 years and currently works in early intervention and at Misericordia University. Amy currently resides in Dallas with her husband and their two children. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends, outdoor adventures, animals, running, and traveling. Her favorite animal is a great white shark.

Michel DeStefano

Michel DeStefano has been instructing group exercise classes since April,1989. She has sizable experience in various fitness techniques which encompass many different age groups and competence levels.

She holds current certifications in Mat Pilates 1, Zen Barre, Cycling and Group Exercise.

As a graduate of Marywood College, and a 30+ year health care professional, she brings about the seriousness of fitness and is very much in accord with the importance of the whole well being (physically, mentally, and spiritually). She seeks to deliver that message in every class she teaches. She will be offering Weighted Sculpt Classes to help her students build muscle endurance, improve posture, and elevate heart rate!

Amanda Thompson

Amanda Thompson began practicing yoga consistently in 2011, after her best friend asked her to try out a hot yoga studio that had recently opened. She began with an intro week special and never stopped from there. Yoga became such an integral part of life for Amanda being just what she needed to balance out work stress, become healthier, and to bring more focus and ease to her life. She learned to appreciate that yoga classes could offer moments of silence and peace but could also be fun and incorporate the unexpected, and most importantly that she craved and loved both aspects in her practice. 

After 9 years of practicing, she was (somewhat reluctantly) convinced to attend yoga teacher training with some of her favorite teachers at Peace of Mind Yoga in Sugarloaf, PA; She was sure that she was just attending to grow her own practice and would never actually teach yoga. Come November 2020, Amanda became a 200 hour Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) with the Yoga Alliance- and shortly after discovered she truly loved teaching yoga. 

Since then she has taught at many local studios and completed numerous other certification programs including yin yoga, prenatal yoga, children’s yoga, and Usui reiki level 2. Amanda loves offering everything from Power Yoga to Yin to Children’s Yoga sharing an appreciation for how a practice can truly change a person’s life, big or small, young or old. She truly believes EVERYONE should have access to find and cultivate the yoga practice they need!

Samantha Patterson

     Samantha is a 200hr RYT that began practicing yoga after sustaining injuries from being both a college and semi-professional athlete. When she began her journey with yoga, she was surprised at the mental and physical components of the practice that brought stability, strength and awareness to her life. Sam currently teaches Vinyasa classes weekly at Melt Hot Yoga and The Salt Barre.

     Off the mat, Sam currently works full-time in Higher Education and is a student earning her PhD at Marywood University. She also teaches as an adjunct professor. Sam’s classes will allow you to explore your practice with curiosity and fortitude, leaving you feel stronger, challenged and relaxed!

Sophia Vanesko

     Sophia Vanesko is a certified core mat Pilates and Barre instructor. She is passionate about the health sciences and thinks exercise is a core component of well being. Teaching fitness classes allows her to follow her passion in helping others grow in their confidence, strength, and patience- She is excited to share this good energy with the well nurtured community!

     Sophia is graduating from the university of Scranton this May with a major in biology and minor in biochemistry and is planning to apply to medical school in the future. A fun fact about Sophia is that she coaches girls volleyball!

Lauren started her yoga practice when she was in college. She loved taking yoga classes so much that she branched out to other classes like goat yoga, aerial yoga, yin, and Pilates. Lauren graduated from Misericordia University in 2020 during the pandemic. She got her teaching job at a virtual cyber charter school. During her first year of teaching she was working from home. Lauren decided during this time to get her yoga teacher 200 hour certification. She would teach small classes at Wilkes University for their college students. In 2022, Lauren taught at Gather Community Space for a year. 

When teaching yoga she always makes sure that students have a warm welcome and a positive experience in the class. She finished her Masters in 2023. Lauren is excited to start teaching Slow Flow yoga classes again. During the "slow flow", the class will focus on traditional yoga poses with meditation at the end. In her free time her favorite activities are reading, spending time with friends, family, and her dog Anna! She is looking forward to seeing you in class!

Allison Stallard

Allison is a Usui Reiki Level 2 practitioner who began practicing Reiki after being inspired by receiving Reiki and energetic healing from a wonderful healer in Berwick named Heather Geiser. Allison was inspired by the gentle, yet powerful healing energy that Reiki has to offer to promote relaxation, mindfulness, and healing (emotional, mental, & physical). She hopes to bring healing, guidance, and joy to others through positive energy during her sessions. 

Allison is also an occupational therapist who enjoys treating kids of all ages and abilities at Well-Nurtured Development. In her free time she enjoys horseback riding, reading, and painting!

Danielle Morris

Danielle earned her Power Pilates Core Mat I certification in May 2025 after discovering a love for Pilates in the fall of 2024. What started as a personal goal to build core strength and better understand the "why" behind each movement quickly grew into a love for the practice.

Danielle believes Pilates should be a space where everyone feels welcome, supported, and empowered. She loves the sense of community that naturally forms in each class and is passionate about helping students build confidence through mindful movement while feeling comfortable in their own bodies.

At Well-Fit, Danielle teaches Core Mat I (traditional/classical Pilates), a slow, controlled sequence that stays consistent from class to class.

When she's not in the studio, Danielle enjoys practicing yoga and works full-time in social media and graphic design. Teaching Pilates is one of the highlights of her week, and she looks forward to helping others discover the physical and mental benefits of Pilates!

Michelle, C-IAYT, MS Yoga Therapy, 500 ERYT, VST, MA Clinical Mental Health Counseling, started teaching yoga in 2013 after completing her first yoga teacher training at Melt Hot Yoga in Edwardsville, PA. In 2016, Michelle started teaching Inferno Hot Pilates after completing her training with Gabi Walters, founder of Inferno Hot Pilates. Michelle graduated from Maryland University of Integrative Health in 2016 with an MS in Yoga Therapy and has been working, partially remote, as the Senior Mind Body Therapist at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, MD using that degree. 

To help better manage her own Chron’s disease, Michelle became certified in Vibrational Sound Therapist in 2018 after training with the Vibrational Sound Association in Portland, OR. Michelle graduated in 2026 with a MA In Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Wake Forest University. Michelle loves to travel, take photos, and eat amazing food. Michelle is excited to share her love of fitness, specifically Inferno Hot Pilates, teaching both the All-levels Inferno Hot Pilates (IHP) and Inferno Hot Pilates Express (IHP-E) at the studio. Michelle will also offer workshops sharing her love of vibrational sound therapy and mind body therapy tools and interventions for stress management.

Chelsea Bresnahan

With over a decade of group fitness teaching experience, Chelsea Bresnahan is known for creating upbeat, welcoming classes that make you forget you’re working out. She’s bringing that energy to Well Fit Studio through pop-up dance fitness classes designed to get you moving and smiling. Even better, proceeds from her classes will benefit the Well Nurtured Community Fund at The Luzerne Foundation, supporting access to therapy for those who need it most. Keep an eye out on our schedule for these classes to get moving for a great cause!