As a near‑lifelong Olympian, I’ve found myself rooted more and more deeply in this community as I grow in age and wisdom. And it’s apparent to me now more than ever: we need each other. Not in an abstract way. In a practical, day‑to‑day way.
A lot of my life and work has revolved around that human-centered idea.
In Olympia, I’ve made public art rooted in mental health and belonging, including a large‑scale mural at the Plum Street YMCA that reads “You Are Not Alone.” I’ve also spent time alongside people and organizations doing the hard, quiet work of crisis support. And I’ve seen firsthand how care shouldn't be something we seek when we’re already in trouble.
It’s something we have to practice before we need it.
I’m Elisa, artist & designer, mother & partner, kitchen-dancer, and a multi‑passionate human on a sincere quest to do work that matters.
Our Story
My lived experience, in both hardship and community, has only reinforced my belief in sauna.
Between 2018 and 2021, I was navigating one of the hardest seasons of my life. My body was constantly vibrating with grief, stress, and fight‑mode energy to the point it became difficult to function. The sauna became the one place I could reliably feel held. Not in a luxury way, but in an essential, ritual, "I can breathe again" kind of way.
To my surprise, something else happened in the sauna: people opened up. Guards came down. Conversations got honest. It became an unexpected container for communal care...for holding space for each other.
Then the pandemic hit and gyms shut down. I lost access to the care practice that was keeping me regulated, and I realized quickly that sauna wasn’t optional for me. So I did what I know how to do: I treated it like a design problem.
Personal Sauna Build
When that still wasn’t it, I went full deep‑dive: Finnish standards, ventilation, bench height, materials, and rebuilt it properly, from the inside out.
Version Three
When it missed the mark, I tore it apart and built Version Two. This time with an electric heater.
Version Two
I built a first version at home, a scrappy wooden box with red lights that worked…kind of.
Version One
My personal sauna has gone through multiple versions since 2019. Each iteration taught me what “quality” actually means at high heat, the details most people never see, but your body knows the difference. Ventilation. Bench height. Materials. Airflow. The difference between a hot box and a real Finnish‑style sauna experience.
After living through that learning curve, I couldn’t un‑know it.
Now, when I sauna at home, I feel both grateful and compelled to bring this to my community — not as a trend, and not as a status thing, but as a shared modality of care that helps people slow down, reconnect, and build resilience together.
That’s why I started Tempo Sauna.
That’s why I believe wellness isn’t just self‑care, it’s us‑care.
Tempo is my attempt to make real sauna more accessible in Olympia and beyond, delivered to where life already happens, designed with deep respect for Finnish sauna culture, and built around the belief that the most meaningful wellness practices are the ones we do in community.
If your life has been loud, fast, or heavy lately, I hope Tempo Sauna helps you find a slower, more intentional pace.