When The Dream Hits a Wall
- Elise Free
- Feb 21
- 4 min read
Updated: Mar 11
THE ELEMENTAL INSIDER: Issue No. 2
Hi friends,
So… you signed up for the Elemental Insider.
And then there was basically no insider information.
No updates. No behind-the-scenes. No Issue No. 2.
That’s not exactly what I promised you.
So here’s the truth about why.
My dream hit a wall.
Back in early August, I truly believed we were finished with city approvals. We had passed our vote. I walked out thinking we were finally full steam ahead — construction, momentum, everything moving forward exactly as planned.
I felt unstoppable.
And then, at the end of August, I learned we had to go back into another four-month approval process.
I don’t have a polished way to say this: It completely knocked the wind out of me.
One moment I thought we were building… and the next moment everything stopped again.
Have you ever had something you believed was finally happening — something you had poured your heart, time, and money into — suddenly pulled back just when you thought you crossed the finish line?
That’s where I was.
And instead of sitting down to write another Insider update, I froze.
Not because I didn’t care.
Because I cared so much I didn’t even know what to say.
I felt paralyzed.
I didn’t want to write a hopeful update when I didn’t feel hopeful yet. I didn’t want to pretend everything was moving smoothly when internally I was trying to figure out how to keep believing in something that suddenly felt completely out of my control.
The reality is, 2025 became an entire year of waiting, navigating approvals, jumping through hoops, and hoping — praying — that we would eventually be allowed to move forward on a project we thought we were already building.
And I’ll be honest with you: If I had known when I signed the lease — starting May 2025 — that this was the road ahead…
I never would have done it.
I wouldn’t have taken the risk. I wouldn’t have signed on the dotted line. Logic would have won.
Which means Elemental probably wouldn’t exist.
So strangely enough, I’m grateful I didn’t know.
Because sometimes the only way we step into the life we’re meant to build is by being just brave — or just naïve — enough to say yes before we understand what it will require of us.
And after a year that tested me more than I expected…
Something finally shifted.
The Fire: The Heart of Elemental
And now… I finally get to tell you what we’ve been building.
The fire.
If cold was the beginning of this journey, the sauna is its heartbeat.
And honestly — I don’t even know if the word sauna fully captures what this is becoming.
This isn’t a corner wellness amenity or a quiet add-on.
This is the Pièce de résistance
The place where energy shifts. Where conversations happen. Where strangers walk in and community walks out.
Our traditional Finnish-style sauna is being built right now — handcrafted by expert sauna makers who treat this work like an art form — and every time I walk into the space, I feel the magnitude of what’s coming.
Two Harvia heaters. Stadium seating designed so everyone experiences the heat fully and evenly. Big enough for 40. A room intentionally created for shared experience — not isolation.
This is where Elemental comes alive.
Because something powerful happens in heat.
You slow down. You soften. You breathe deeper than you have all day. And without trying, walls come down.
If you’ve been living under a rock the past six months, you might not realize what’s happening around the world right now — saunas are becoming the new social clubs.
Not bars.
Not loud restaurants.
Not alcohol-centered spaces.
Places where people gather sober, curious, present, and real.
Where connection happens naturally because everyone is sharing the same human experience at the same time.
We’re bringing that energy here — and expanding it.
Inside this sauna, you’ll experience:
Return to the Elements : Guided contrast sessions led by our Elemental team — experiences designed to help you reconnect with breath, body, and presence.
Thermalist Method Workshops : Two-and-a-half-hour immersive journeys led by facilitators trained directly under Dr. Susanna Søberg, the global leader in contrast therapy — blending science, heat, cold, and nervous system transformation into one powerful experience.
Guided Heat Rituals (Aufguss-Inspired Ceremonies): Breath, music, steam rising from the stones, waves of heat intentionally moved through the room — turning temperature into something almost ceremonial.
And sometimes…
The energy will shift entirely.
Music will come on.
Lights will change.
A disco ball might spin overhead.
DJ-led sauna sessions. Movement. Laughter. Connection.
From silence to celebration — all inside the same space.
Because wellness doesn’t have to be quiet to be meaningful.
Sometimes healing looks like stillness.
Sometimes it looks like dancing, sweating, and feeling fully alive next to people who were strangers an hour before.
That range — from deep inward reflection to shared collective energy — is what makes this sauna unlike anything I’ve experienced before.
And the most beautiful part?
It’s being built right now.
Wood being shaped by hand. Benches taking form. A space designed not just to look beautiful, but to hold experience.
Every detail chosen with intention so when you walk in, you don’t need instructions.
Your body will know what to do.
You’ll feel it immediately.
This isn’t just heat.
It’s ritual.
It’s community.
It’s energy. It’s the fire that balances the cold — and together, they create transformation.
And honestly… this is just the beginning.
What Happens Next
After a year that felt like waiting, everything is moving fast now. Faster than I can almost keep up with — in the best possible way.
Construction is happening. The vision is becoming real. And the momentum inside this space right now is something I wish you could feel.
So hang on.
Because we’re going to be open before you know it.
In the next Elemental Insider, I’ll finally share our grand opening date — and trust me, you’re going to be surprised at how quickly things are about to unfold.
There’s a lot more to show you.
We’re just getting started.
Quote of the Week
“Don’t quit right before the magic happens.” — from Ninja Selling by Larry Kendall
Reflection of the Week
Where in your life are you closer to breakthrough than you realize?