162. 312, A Useful Practice When You Get Reactive

“It takes really an amazing amount of sort of infusing the whole system of the self and the mindstream with compassion to actually be curious about the ways that we are in the world,” says Kelly Blaser, a licensed marriage and family therapist and the founder of Dharma Bridge and Soma Psychotherapy. In this episode, Kelly joins Alejandra Siroka to explore how compassionate self-inquiry can help us uncover the deeper layers of who we are. What happens when we stop running from discomfort and instead meet ourselves with curiosity? Kelly shares her 312 practice, a simple and useful tool to interrupt self-critical voices and invite a more compassionate inner dialogue.

 

Through relatable examples and insights, Kelly invites us to consider: How much of our identity is shaped by old stories, and how can we begin to loosen their grip? Join Kelly and Alejandra’s conversation to get gentle guidance for navigating anxiety, self-judgment, and the moments of stillness where healing begins.

 

Quotes

• “It takes really an amazing amount of sort of infusing the whole system of the self and the mindstream with compassion to actually be curious about the ways that we are in the world.” (06:22 | Kelly Blaser)
• “My teacher used to say, ‘You are not a monolith. You think you’re a monolith. You’re not a monolith.’ We’re actually composed of distinct personalities. She originally called it subpersonalities. She doesn’t use that language anymore. If you see a part of yourself arise that’s reactive, that is experiencing shame, that is experiencing some kind of suffering, then it’s very helpful to have a way to distance yourself from that part without bypassing that part.” (14:59 | Kelly Blaser)
• “What this practice is really the best at doing is interrupting ruminative, self-critical voices. So then when you think about a person who acts out in a big way and what is the moment where they’re most likely to be in ruminative, self-critical voices, it’s probably not while the tension is building prior to the explosion. It’s probably afterwards.” (18:45 | Kelly Blaser)
• “Witness consciousness can help because then it takes away some of the barriers to feeling because we don’t take it so seriously if we can see ourselves from the outside. And so, then, we can kind of inquire, what does it feel like in this body? What’s circulating around here?” (26:06 | Kelly Blaser)

 

Links

Connect with Kelly Blaser: Dharma Bridge https://dharmabridge.net/

Kelly Blaser https://kellyblaser.com/

Soma Psychotherapy https://www.somapsychotherapy.com/yoga

2025 Power of Meditation Summit: https://kelly-blaser.mykajabi.com/a/2148010679/zBQLdFd8

 

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Podcast Music composed by Gary Lapow: open.spotify.com/artist/1HlMhcNfKIELxYil5mVqD

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