Refs

components.my-component.js

import Ember from 'ember';

const Mixin = Ember.Mixin.create({
  $ref(ref) {
    return this.get('refMap.' + ref);
  },
  _addRef(ref, component) {
    this.set('refMap.' + ref, component);
  },
  _removeRef(ref) {
    if (ref) {
      this.set('refMap.' + ref, null);
    }  
  },
  init(...args){
    this._super();
	  this.set('refMap', Ember.Object.create())
  },
  didReceiveAttrs({ newAttrs, oldAttrs }){
  	if (oldAttrs && oldAttrs._ref) {
      this.parentView._removeRef(oldAttrs._ref);
		}
		if (newAttrs._ref) {
      this.parentView._addRef(newAttrs._ref, this);
    }
	},
  _removeRefOnDestroy: Ember.on('willDestroyElement', function() {
		this.parentView._removeRef(this.get('_ref'));
  })
})

export default Ember.Component.extend(Mixin, {
  didRender(){
    setInterval(() => {
			const inner = this.$ref('inner');
      if (inner){
        this.$ref('inner').send('highlight');
      }
    }, 3000);
  },
  actions: {
    highlight(){
      this.$().css({
        color: 'red'
      });
      setTimeout(() => {
        this.$().css({
          color: 'black'
        });
      }, 500)
  	}
  }
});

controllers.application.js

import Ember from 'ember';

export default Ember.Controller.extend({
  appName: 'Ember Twiddle'
});

templates.application.hbs

<h1>Welcome {{appName}}</h1>
<br>
<br>
{{outlet}}
{{#my-component renderInner=true}}
{{/my-component}}
<br>
<br>

templates.components.my-component.hbs

{{#if renderInner}}
	{{#my-component _ref='inner'}}
		content
	{{/my-component}}
{{/if}}
{{yield}}

twiddle.json

{
  "version": "0.12.1",
  "EmberENV": {
    "FEATURES": {}
  },
  "options": {
    "use_pods": false,
    "enable-testing": false
  },
  "dependencies": {
    "jquery": "https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.11.3/jquery.js",
    "ember": "2.12.0",
    "ember-template-compiler": "2.12.0",
    "ember-testing": "2.12.0"
  },
  "addons": {
    "ember-data": "2.12.1"
  }
}