Petros Thought Hot Yoga Wasn’t for Him. Then He Tried It.
When Petros Lympertas first considered trying Hot Yoga, he was far from convinced. Having grown up in Greece, he had already experienced enough heat. “I came to the Netherlands because I liked the cooler weather,” he says. The idea of voluntarily entering a room heated to 37°C did not immediately appeal to him. “I thought: this probably is not for me.”
His first class changed his perspective. Petros discovered that the temperature gave his attention a clear direction. The demands of the heated room left little space for the thoughts he had carried into class. His focus moved instinctively towards his breathing. “If you don’t focus on your breath, you will feel exhausted,” he explains. “So the first thing you do is breathe.”
That experience gave him a different understanding of the heat. The temperature was not simply there to make the postures physically demanding. It asked him to remain aware of how he was responding. Once his breathing settled, his mind followed.
Finding Focus Through Repetition
Petros found another source of focus in the fixed Hot Hatha sequence. As students become familiar with its structure, they no longer have to wonder what the teacher will introduce next. “You know what is coming,” he says. “The sequence helps your mind to relax.”
The repetition also gives students a clear way to observe their development. They return to the same postures and begin to notice changes in their practice. “You come this week and you come next week,” Petros explains. “After a few months, you see that something you couldn’t do before is now possible.”
The structure remains consistent, while modifications allow each student to work with their own body. For Petros, knowing that structure is only one part of teaching it well. A teacher also needs to create an environment in which students feel supported.
“My main goal is to create an experience,” he says. People often enter the studio carrying the pressure of their day, and he wants them to leave feeling that something has shifted. His classes combine technical attention with a warm atmosphere, leaving room for humour within the intensity of the practice.
That warmth is closely connected to the culture in which Petros grew up. “In Greece, we embrace people even if we don’t know them,” he says. “We try to make them feel comfortable and part of our circle.”
He brings the same hospitality to his teaching by getting to know the people who attend his classes. Some have practised with him for years and become part of the community surrounding his work. “I want everybody who comes into the room to know that I see them,” he says.
A Training Built Around Personal Attention
The 50-hour Hot Hatha Teacher Training reflects the same personal approach Petros brings to his classes. By keeping the group small, he can watch each participant teach and offer direct feedback.
His aim is for participants to understand the sequence without copying his style. “Find your own voice and your own style,” he says.
The practice Petros once thought was not for him has become a central part of his work. Now, he is ready to pass it on.
50-Hour Hot Hatha Teacher Training with Petros Lympertas
Three in-studio weekends with additional online guidance
24 October 2026–23 January 2027 | Studio HOT, Utrecht
Includes a final in-studio assessment