When their head spins and devil spew flies out.

The penny-drop moment of realising you are not your thoughts (the cornerstone of mindfulness) is a game-changer when it comes to coping with strong emotions.

But what about when we're in the face of someone else's strong emotions (or egoic reaction)? When they're completely lost in drama...

My little girl often experiences tantrums (some of which have made me want to stick pins in my own eyes). We call them “whirlwind tantrums”. She has many lovely qualities (really!!), but when those tantrums fly in and the storm erupts, she resembles the possessed head-spinning devil-spewing kid in the film The Exorcist.

And that's exactly what she is in that moment. Possessed. Like any of us can be when any strong emotion flies in. And if I'm not careful I will quickly “catch” her frustration, rage and upset and then spew it right back at her (and possibly whoever next comes across me). Her ego has become my ego, it has possessed me too.

And on it goes.

So here's the thing I've learnt from my daughter...

When you're in the path of anyone's whirlwind (egoic reaction), view it as exactly this: a highly infectious possessing energy hunting for its next host. Any rise provides the perfect crack for the ego wind to whip in, but if not "caught" and fed further it will soon blow away.

Get present, step into the eye of it, see it for the emotional virus it is. The person is not the whirlwind.

Be it the narcissist, jealous friend, vitriolic mother, tantruming toddler or booming boss: give their and your ego the exorcism of awareness. Because awareness and ego cannot co-exist.

Love, Jo x