“To embrace our fluidity and find our flow requires an acknowledgement that we are about to enter into a relationship with the aliveness of the world.” - Easkey Britton
What is Flow State?
As someone who knows the ocean as a joy-filled access point to healing, I created Flow State Holistic Surf out of a deep commitment and passion to help others on their own healing journey. Through surf-based, mindfulness-centered experiences, Flow State is an invitation for people to reconnect with their bodies, steady their nervous systems, and remember who they are beneath stress, transition, or life’s inevitable waves.
We all carry stories shaped by our environments — past experiences, loss, change, or moments that have asked us to become resilient before we felt ready. These experiences live not just in our minds, but in our bodies. At Flow State, healing is honored as a whole-person process, rooted in movement, breath, presence, and relationship with the natural world.
Connection sits at the heart of this work. Humans are wired for belonging, and when we feel seen, supported, and safe, meaningful growth becomes possible. Whether you arrive seeking renewal, confidence, clarity, or simply the joy of being in the water with good humans, you are met exactly where you are.
I’m a certified surf therapy facilitator through the Groundswell Institute and a Reiki practitioner, and I curate trauma-informed, ocean-based experiences designed to gently build resilience, expand capacity, and invite embodied self-trust. Sessions may include surfing, paddleboarding, bodyboarding, guided mindfulness, and shoreline practices — all held in a welcoming, judgment-free environment.
Inspired by the rhythms of the sea and the wisdom of the body, Flow State is less about performance and more about presence. Less about pushing, more about listening. Here, the ocean becomes a container for healing, courage, connection, and play — an invitation to slow down, breathe deeper, and find your flow.
—Mary Frandson
Founder of Flow State: A Holistic Surf Experience
Meet the Team
Mary Frandson
Founder of Flow State and Director of the Great Lakes and Southern California ChaptersOpening oneself up to vulnerability is where the magic happens. My mission is to create experiences where people can tap into the ocean's healing energy—calling on their courage, letting go of what no longer serves them, reconnecting with their true selves, and stepping into their power to live more authentically. As a waterwoman and surfer, I’m here to share the stoke and soul-spark of waves. Beyond my work in the surf, I hold an MFA in Creative Writing from the New School in New York City. I’ve taught English in higher education for over 16 years, played professional football for the Minnesota Vixen, served as an Editor for ESPN, and now write and edit for Amplitude Magazine. My life’s work blends storytelling, wellness, a deep, abiding love for Mother Ocean, and making meaningful contributions to inclusive surf communities.
Bryan Branch
Born and raised at the beach, I’ve spent the last seven years helping surfers of all ages and skill levels find their groove in the water. Whether you’re catching your first wave or refining your style, I’m here to guide you with patience, passion, and a lot of stoke. Big fan of the ocean—and Star Wars.
Surf Instructor and Stoke Master
Flow State proudly welcomes Emily Sonny to the team!
Whether she’s paddling out beside you or joining you in conversation on the sand, you feel her magic — an instant boost of life-force energy, deep presence, and radiating joy - just a true embodiment of liquid sunshine. Emily will direct our Flow State Central Coast Women’s Surf Pod and help run Women’s Wellness Surf Days.
In her own words…
I am a nature lover at heart, thriving in spaces held by the natural world and in environments that honor people exactly as they are — seen, held, and heard in their most vulnerable expressions of being human. I am devoted to cultivating authentic connections within the community, both on land and in the sea.
During this season in my life, I am a surf instructor, artist, and Massage Practitioner on California’s Central Coast. I have recently begun working with Flow Surf Academy, providing surf stoke and education to adults and children on the spectrum. Through working with this foundation and building deeper connections with the students, I have firsthand experience in witnessing the healing properties and benefits of the ocean. It is truly remarkable.
My intentions in collaborating with Mary and Flow State Holistic Surf are to provide presence, compassion, surf stoke, ritual, stewardship, and surf therapy facilitation to those who need it the most. Through deep reverence for the ocean’s abundance, forgiveness, strength, and beauty, I support others in finding their own sense of flow, connection, and belonging within her embrace.