February Newsletter
We hope your year is off to a great start, and that you enjoyed Super Bowl 60! Sorry Pats fans. We got some texts that Drake Maye could use some bmindful sessions. Maybe that will make a difference next year LOL. Hard to believe, but we’re already over a month and a half into 2026. Time flies and so does life, so here’s a newsletter that hopefully helps you pause for a moment.
Part of the goal of these messages is to serve as reminders to do a quick check-in with ourselves. No pressure. No perfection. Just openness and curiosity. Here are a few reflection questions you can sit with (even for 30 seconds):
So far this year…
• What have I done well?
• What have I learned?
• How have I been treating myself? What has my inner voice been like? Grumpy, curious, frustrated, accepting, judgemental or all of the above?
• What have I noticed myself getting attached to mentally? What has caused me to mentally spiral?
• What do I want to give more attention (and intention) to this month?
There are no right answers, and try not to judge what comes up. Just bring awareness. Each month let’s try to observe, offer self-compassion, and attempt to make helpful adjustments.
The Tour (Continues), First Golf Feature, and Ethan’s Ultra Race
We had an incredible time on tour last month meeting so many amazing people and seeing many familiar faces from the bmindful family. We’re truly grateful for every conversation, every session, and every ounce of energy everyone brought. A BIG thank you to all the coaches, student-athletes, Athletic Directors and Administrators for having us on campus. We’re very grateful! Here are some photos from each event.
See here for a recap video from the session with Endicott Women’s Lacrosse, where we also got to celebrate Eric’s birthday! What a special moment. We’ll be sharing more recap videos from the Tour on our Instagram and website soon, so keep an eye out for some gems coming your way.
And we’re not done yet… Next month, we’re headed to SoCal! We’ll be working with the UChicago Men’s and Women’s Tennis teams in person at the Stag Hen Tournament in Claremont. If you’re going to be nearby and want to grab coffee or say hi, let us know. We’d love to connect.
At the same time, we’re back in full swing with our Spring teams. We’re hyped to kick off some new programs and continue building momentum with others.
Next up, we’re grateful to Brett Cyrgalis for putting together an incredibly thoughtful piece about bmindful and his time with Coach Eric, called Training the Brain. You can read the full article here.We appreciate you featuring us in the MGA magazine, The Met Golfer. Thank you for trusting Eric as your coach and for highlighting the importance of mental training in golf. We admire you for sharing your experience with authenticity and honesty - that takes real courage.
It means a lot to work in the space between the ears, especially in a game where it matters so much. We’re excited to keep learning, collaborating, and supporting golfers who train their mental game with the same care as their swing.
Okay, now Ethan’s ultra marathon race… Let’s give him a BIG round of applause for completing 46 miles at the Black Canyon Ultra Marathon in Arizona. Although his legs were not able to make it to mile 62, he texted us afterwards, “It was quite a ride! Learned a lot :)” That’s the attitude and growth mindset that we preach to our athletes every day. We’re excited to hear what he learned, and how it applies to his next race this Summer!
Major props to him for his consistency, dedication, hard work (both physically and mentally) in preparation for this challenge. He somehow found time for several 10+ mile runs in the freezing cold (below 10°F) during the Tour. We’re super proud of you!
A New Substack Drop, Plus Another On The Way!
Check out Ethan’s latest Substack article, where he talks about how uncertainty has been a major theme in his life for the past year and how he looks at it from a different angle - befriending it. If you want to learn more about how to work with uncertainty, give it a read here. He lays out the tool he used to handle the uncertainty that came with attempting a race distance he has never tried before.
Keep an eye out for one more Substack article that Eric whipped up for you all! He writes about how practicing mindfulness in your daily life can look like. Hint: it’s not only in meditation.
Mindfulness Tool of the Month
Let’s talk about observing vs. attaching.
Noticing a thought is powerful. Getting glued to it… not always so helpful.
Observing sounds like:
“Interesting, I’m noticing that I’m anxious right now.”
Attaching sounds like:
“I’m anxious, this is bad, and something must be wrong with me.”
These are two very different approaches to a feeling, in this case, anxiety. The first example demonstrates an observer who is curious and non-judgmental = mindfulness. The latter demonstrates self-judgement and a harsh inner critic = leads to downward spiraling.
Try to practice simply observing our thoughts and emotions without trying to fix, judge, or wrestle them. Let them pass like clouds instead of moving in and rearranging the furniture.
It’s a small shift, and it makes a big impact. Here are some benefits that we can start to see:
It creates space between you and the experience
When you observe:
Thoughts become events, not commands
Emotions become weather, not identity
Sensations become signals, not threats
That small gap is everything… It’s the difference between reaction and response. Even a half-second of space lets the nervous system settle.
It reduces unnecessary suffering
Pain happens. Stress happens. Loss happens. Suffering increases when we attach to it.
Attachment sounds like:
“This shouldn’t be happening”
“I can’t handle this”
“This means something is wrong with me”
Observation sounds like:
“This is uncomfortable”
“This is changing”
“Hmmm, this is interesting”
More attachment = more suffering. Observation = less suffering.
It builds emotional resilience over time
Every time you observe instead of attach, you’re training:
Nervous system regulation
Emotional tolerance
Self-trust
You learn:
“I can feel hard things without being taken over by them.”
That confidence compounds.
Lastly, it allows us to redirect our attention to the present moment with more gentleness, grace and ease.
What We’re Reading
Ethan:
Educational: The Craving Mind by Judson Brewer
Leisure: Burn Rate by Andy Dunn
Eric:
Educational: Legacy by James Kerr
Leisure: Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
Julie:
Educational: The Mindful Athlete by George Mumford
Leisure: Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doer
Poem of the Month
“The River”
My feelings are the river,
flowing through my body.
Sometimes the river flows calmly,
sometimes it rushes wildly.
My feelings are not me.
I am the one who observes
the river flowing.
- Thich Nhat Hanh
Sending much love, compassion and presence! Have a great rest of your month.
- Eric, Julie and Ethan