Jessica Sowyrda, Owner and instructor of Vessel Pilates in Kingwood, never planned to open a studio. She remembers being a young mother with three toddlers, looking for a place to decompress where she could truly move and heal without having to choose between childcare and her own well-being. Pilates has been a constant, almost like a long-time friend. The activity carried her through pregnancies, deliveries, and postpartum recovery, and she saw how powerful intentional movement could be.
The word vessel had been on her heart, nagging at her to be something someday. She dismissed the thought for some time, then she and a photographer friend dreamed of a women-focused project called The Vessel Journal, built on the idea that women's bodies carry our children. "It is one of our callings as women, and can be a shining light in our journey," shared Jessica. The publication never found its legs and failed before it truly began, but the nagging feeling for the name stayed.
Before the studio's inception, Jessica had been teaching Pilates from her home. At the time, Kingwood didn't have a dedicated Pilates studio that offered holistic teaching and realistic childcare combined. When the former business, at the location of her current studio, shut its doors after Harvey. Jessica stepped up, determined to create a space where women could feel safe, seen, and cared for. A place where they could relax regardless of whether they were child-free or not. People were both emotionally and physically exhausted post-Harvey. They needed more than home repairs; they needed a place to breathe, recharge, and feel supported.
Like a phoenix rising from the ashes of a discontinued journal and the devastation of Hurricane Harvey, the name Vessel found a home in Jessica's pilates studio. Jessica used the remains of two significant moments to create a place with a name not yet forgotten, and turned it into a space where individuals could find restoration.
As individuals walk in, they are greeted at the front desk, where staff take first-time clients on a tour of the facilities, from the Kids Club to the refillable water station, coffee corner, and boutique racks. There is so much to this ever-growing space. Vessel was never meant to be just a place to work out, no. Jessica has always approached Pilates as a whole-body and soul experience, where an intentional connection is made along the path to self-care. Classes are purposely small to allow instructors to curate and offer hands-on guidance with real-time modifications. Instructors do not simply call out exercise names and spring settings. They hear which muscles their clients need to focus on, and they teach using alignment in all matters, showing how small movements can translate into daily life. Instructors complete a comprehensive 500-hour certification and ongoing continuing education courses. Jessica specializes in pre- and postnatal care to support women throughout their pregnancies. Not only that, Vessel offers reformer and tower classes, along with mat, barre-inspired movement, yoga, rebounding, fascial release, and strength-based sessions.
The studio supports local schools, hosts community classes, and organizes charity events that benefit causes such as breast cancer research and Alzheimer's awareness. Inside the studio after classes are over, Jessica has built a collaborative network where women can continue to fill their cups in other areas of life, allowing conversations to flow in places like a monthly book club. Not only that, Jessica has a network of wellness partners, such as local chiropractors and physical therapists, for individuals who require additional care. There is also a massage therapist who practices in the studio.
Clients describe Vessel as a judgment-free zone where anxiety quiets and confidence returns. Many women say that walking into the studio feels like a sigh of relief, and walking out feels like they can conquer the day and handle what life throws their way. Vessel Pilates is deeply personal to Jessica. Her own postpartum journey led her to want women to know they are not alone in common experiences that often go unspoken. She leads with vulnerability, and her mission is not to push perfection, but to guide women toward a more profound understanding of their bodies and gain acceptance of themselves.
At the heart of Vessel Pilates is a woman who pours her whole soul into every detail. Jessica is known as a warm and encouraging soul. She has been a source of repreve for so many during some of the most challenging seasons in recent history that have affected the area, calming anxieties when life perpetuates them. Where intention continues before and after class, and that intentional energy weaves through everything Jessica and every instructor at Vessel Pilates touch.
"Our goal is to help women align themselves again. If they leave feeling whole and at peace, then we've fulfilled our purpose." Jessica Sowyrda, Owner of Vessel Pilates
"Pilates is everywhere right now, but here, we want it to be a life experience. We focus on reconnecting with your body, understanding how it works for the life you are in now." Jessica Sowyrda, Owner of Vessel Pilates