If you're going to wear a face mask, you may as well wear a trendy one, right? 🎭

John San Juan is the creator of Face Masks by John San Juan, which up-cycles designer dust bags into luxury face masks. 

This came to fruition through his experience in the fashion industry. He also makes custom dog clothes, modeled by his adorable pups, Pancake and Godiva. 💃🏾

John is not only a Fashionista, but he is a breathtaking Yoga Instructor (literally and figuratively). I met this incredible human in August of 2019 because of a free week trial at Hot 8 Yoga. I randomly selected his class because it fit into my schedule that day. Five minutes into it, I was HOOKED. It was everything - the heat, the workout, the mental clarity I felt during and after. This studio became my yoga home very quickly. Sadly, Hot 8 Yoga was forced to close in March of 2020, like many businesses. What was our yoga community going to do without the one thing that kept us the most sane and centered? 🤔

When sitting down with John to talk about his experiences during Covid, I was refreshed, reinvigorated, and reminded that our breath and community are always with us. We just have to tap into it, set our intention to move into the positive energy, and focus on staying grounded. 🙏🏻

John was not only able to maintain his community, but to expand it during Covid-19.

"The pandemic has actually created immense growth and expansion for me." Even though everything around him shut down, he literally opened his home to become a virtual yoga studio, to continue teaching and guiding his students. "Mental health is a necessity and a commodity that people have been willing to pay for. I am so grateful to not only work, but be of service in helping people find and maintain well-being during hard times."

John teaches yoga because he LOVES IT. Taking a class with him is personal - he knows all of his students, and if he doesn't, he gets to know them. He values human connection, growth, and being your true self.

John is a pillar of our community. He inspires gratitude and reminds us to slow down, to tap into the power of our inner voice amidst the chaos. He is a radiant light during a time that has felt so heavy and dark.

See below for my interview with John:

RR: What specifically changed your personal / professional life during this time? I.E. What daily routine did you have to adjust?

JSJ: "Turning a large working part of my apartment into work space. I teach online classes by converting my living room into an online yoga studio, complete with lighting, props, audio equipment, tv monitors, etc."

RR: What do you miss most about life before Covid-19?
JSJ: "Humanity. I used to joke that generally humans deeply annoy me. Now I want to hug everyone because I miss social connection so much."

RR: What has covid made you grateful for?
JSJ: "My health, prosperity in work and an income better than the one I had before the pandemic."

RR: What has been the biggest challenge for you during this time?
JSJ: "Shifting how I teach to accommodate how people are learning and paying attention these days. Attention span and willingness to exert effort are generally diminished virtually.  Also not being able to see my family as often, even when they’re only 2 hours away."

RR: What are you most excited for when things return to “normal”?
JSJ" "The new normal. The old normal was broken. People have learned so much about loving kindness, awareness, self-accountability, and empathy toward others in the last year.  Meeting my students at that new normal to forge a new path is exciting. I cannot wait to meet it head on."