From Om to Home: Heartwood Yoga Studio Opens In Ben Lomond

By Blake Holiday

There’s a new place to stretch, breathe, and find your center in downtown Ben Lomond. Heartwood Yoga, a bright and welcoming new studio, is open and inviting folks to roll out their mats and reconnect.

If you ask Britt Neudorf how she ended up opening a yoga studio in Ben Lomond, she’ll probably smile and say she’s merely gone from “one valley to the next.” After years in the Sacramento Valley, Britt and her family relocated to the San Lorenzo Valley in search of something slower, smaller, and more connected. That landed her in the heart of the redwoods and into the growing business community in Ben Lomond. 

Opened in March in the space on Highway 9 once home to Ease Mountain Yoga, Britt’s new Heartwood Yoga studio is the kind of place that feels like it’s always been there even though it’s been completely remodeled. But the studio’s story begins long before the “open” sign went up. It begins with Britt’s own journey — through sports injuries, personal discovery, and a growing desire to create healing spaces for others.

“I first got into yoga just for fun,” she says, thinking back to a junior college class she signed up for out of curiosity. But when a devastating knee injury cut her promising basketball career short, yoga became something more than a passing interest. “What began as rehab gradually transformed into something much deeper and more meaningful,” she explains. “I began to realize this was about more than just the physical.”

As Britt recovered, she dove deeper into the practice. Eventually, that curiosity led to teacher trainings and positions at various studios — both on the mat and behind the scenes. “I’ve worked in studio management for years, which gave me the tools to do this,” she says. “But more than anything, it gave me the confidence to dream up something of my own.”

When she moved to Ben Lomond last August and the opportunity to lease the former studio space presented itself, Britt didn’t hesitate. “Opening Heartwood Yoga was a natural extension of my personal practice. My relationship with yoga has evolved over time, and now my practice is about self-discovery, community, and living a meaningful life. I wanted to create a space where others could experience this same process of self-exploration through yoga that I did. There was so much good energy in this space already and I wanted to honor that while also making it feel like home — for myself and for everyone who walks in.”

And home it is. The studio renovation was a deeply personal, grassroots effort: neighbors contributed materials, friends pitched in, and family members painted the walls and built the furniture. “My mom built the shoe cubby,” she laughs. “Even my husband constructed the reception desk. This place has all of us in it.”

Weekly studio sessions include: 

• Vinyasa Flow: A movement class that builds strength and flexibility without the intensity of power yoga.
• Vinyasa Foundations: A supportive, beginner-friendly class with essential poses.
• Yoga Sculpt: Yoga with light weight training.
• Yin Yoga: A slow, deeply relaxing practice that targets connective tissues.

At the heart of Britt’s teaching is a deep respect for science and storytelling. She believes the body tells us what we need if we’re willing to listen. “Yoga isn’t about perfect poses or extreme flexibility. It’s about connecting with yourself. You may come to the mat in search of fitness or stress relief, but you’ll stay for reasons much deeper. Remember, the hardest part of any yoga class is simply getting there.”

Classes have been well attended since day one, and the studio is already in conversation with local wellness practitioners for future workshops and events. A restorative spa-style Mother’s Day class is on the horizon, and Britt hopes to introduce more seasonal offerings in the months to come.

Still, she’s in no rush. “Yoga taught me patience,” she says. “Every day is different. You have to meet it with curiosity, not expectation.” For now, Britt is just happy to be here — putting down roots in the Valley, surrounded by trees and community, and doing the work she loves. “This place is special,” she smiles. “There’s a kind of magic here. I feel lucky to be part of it.”

As for the name, Heartwood was no accident. “Heartwood is the strong central core of a tree — the part that supports everything else,” Britt explains. “That felt like the right metaphor for what I wanted to create here: something strong, grounded, and supportive.”

And in a town like Ben Lomond — where the forests are thick and dreams grow deep — it’s not a stretch to see that Heartwood Yoga feels like something here to stay.

Heartwood Yoga
9573 CA-9, Ben Lomond
heartwoodyogasc.com

Featured photo: Britt Neudorf at Heartwood Yoga in Ben Lomond

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