Calm in the Storm: Zen Ways to Cultivate Stability in an Anxious World

by Brother Phap Huu, Jo Confino

A transformative guide that helps readers embrace life’s flaws with mindfulness and compassion. Drawing on Zen teachings and real-life stories, Brother Phap Huu and Jo Confino offer practical tools for finding balance, self-acceptance, and inner peace, even in the face of life’s challenges. Whether you're seeking personal growth or a more authentic way of living, this book shows how to navigate our inevitable imperfections with courage and grace.

Genres: Buddhism, Spirituality, Nonfiction

128 pages, Paperback

Published August 26, 2025

Reviews

[Chris Kosal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is balm for the world weary soul. Simple and practical support with examples from each author’s life experiences.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book. I meditate daily and this helped to remind me why I spend 10-20 minutes sitting.
The book tells us how to be in the present moment and to breathe.
Beautifully written.

[Myinstabookblog · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Perfectionism is an attempt to control life. It is often driven by feelings of shame and judgment. If only we can reach a mythical endpoint, we believe, then we can feel happy and accepted. It is fool's gold and ends up exacerbating the very feelings we are trying to escape.”
- Calm in the storm. 📖
- Brother Pham Huu and Jo Confino ✍️

🧘🏽
In this short and beautiful book authors offer zen teaching to the modern chaotic lifestyle. Today when almost everyone is living a competitive, stressful and anxious lives, authors of this book present a deeply philosophical and spiritual guide derived from the teaching of famous Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh. Authors share stories from their personal lives and experiences and write how zen teachings helped them overcome their fears, anxiety and pressure. In just 150 pages authors have beautifully crafted a manual for slow and peaceful living for the fast paced present day world.
🧘🏽

The central theme of the book is the mindfulness, meditation, peaceful living and finding answers within. It is beauty of the spirituality of the east that we are encouraged to look inward for answers. Living in a commune of monks and practitioners authors practice and motivate us to do the same the arts of mindfulness, walking meditation, sitting meditation, slowing down, breathing and practising compassion. It’s about finding peace in chaos. Looking inward and slowing down are the initial steps, authors provide practical advice and suggestions for today’s anxious generation. Today when all of us are going through a mental health crisis we need wisdom of monks and yogis to guide us through this tumultuous time. Even though at some points it can read repetitive and like an essay this book has some value to offer to lives of readers.

[Aashna Godha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read Calm in the Storm and it didn't try to impress me.
no big revelations. no "this will change your life" energy. and somehow….. that's exactly why it works,
it feels like sitting by a river that doesn't ask you to jump in. it just keeps flowing, and eventually, your breathing matches it.

The book isn't trying to fix you-which, honestly, in a world obsessed with optimization, feels rebellious.
Brother Pháp Hữu carries this quiet, almost monk-coded stillness, while Jo Confino translates it into something your overthinking brain can actually hold without spiraling.

The ideas? not new.
mindfulness, presence, compassion—you've heard it before. but here's the catch: you probably haven't lived it.

This book calls you out softly.
like-"hey, you're not overwhelmed because life is chaos. you're overwhelmed because you won't stop resisting it." and that lands.

some parts do feel repetitive, especially if you've already been in your "healing era."
but maybe repetition is the point because peace isn't a concept you understand once—it's something you practice until it stops feeling unnatural.

This isn't a book you finish.
it's one you return to when your mind gets loud again.
no drama. no noise. just a quiet reminder: you don't need a new life- you need a steadier way of standing inside the one you already have.

[Sonali Sharma · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book tackles what the authors call the "polycrisis", all the environmental, social, and personal challenges happening at once in our lives today. Rather than helping you escape or numb yourself, they show you how to build inner strength so you can face difficulties with clear thinking and kindness. This isn't about being calm all the time, but about finding your center even when life feels chaotic.

My key takeaways:
• Combines ancient Zen wisdom with modern psychology in ways anyone can understand
• Shares real personal stories and practical mindfulness exercises you can actually use
• Addresses specific modern struggles like perfectionism, burnout, and harsh self-criticism
• Connects you to deeper sources of strength, including ancestral wisdom and healing your inner child
• Shows how personal peace and social action go together- not separate paths
• Helps you show up more fully in life rather than retreating from the world

The book won't give you instant solutions, but it will be a trusted guide for learning to live with more ease and authenticity. Whether you're new to mindfulness or already have a practice, the mix of Zen teachings, personal stories, and practical advice offers fresh ways to think about living well when everything feels uncertain.

[bookswithkinkita · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a world that constantly feels rushed, loud, and overwhelming, Calm in the Storm by Brother Phap Huu and Jo Confino arrives like a quiet pause.
This book doesn’t try to fix you. It doesn’t rush you towards healing.
Instead, it simply sits beside you and reminds you to breathe.
The pages feel like a soft conversation with a wise friend. The words are simple, yet they hold a depth that gently encourages you to look inward, to sit with your emotions rather than run from them.
What makes this book truly special is its tenderness. It teaches that calm isn’t something we find outside it’s something we slowly grow within ourselves, even in the middle of chaos.
There are no overwhelming philosophies, no heavy instructions just small, mindful moments that invite you to slow down, to feel, and to be present.
This is not a book you rush through, it is s a book you return to on anxious days, on quiet nights, and in moments when your heart feels a little too heavy.

[Enakshi J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The cover of Calm in the Storm is the first quiet exhale. The soft blue circle, the bamboo brushstrokes, the minimal typography—it promises stillness without screaming for attention. It doesn’t market peace; it embodies it. And thankfully, the content largely stays true to that promise.

Structured into reflective chapters like What Takes Us Far from Home, Through Any Storm, and Practices to Return Home, the book feels like a guided conversation rather than a lecture. The blend of Zen wisdom (from Brother Phap Huu) and contemporary reflection (from Jo Confino) creates a bridge between ancient mindfulness and modern anxiety. That dual voice is one of the book’s strongest merits—it prevents the tone from becoming either overly mystical or overly corporate.

Read the full review here: https://aliveshadow.com/review-calm-i...

[Nava · Rating 3 out of 5]

I sometimes listen to the way out is in podcast and I can warmly recommend it. For dharma and for refugee. Brother Phap Huu and Jo confino each bring their own practice and experiences and make thays teaching alive. That said, after reading that and following the podcast I didn’t “learn something new”. But also reading Buddhist texts is a practice and a good reminder of why one might want to practice and meditate.

[Molly Kavanaugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

A small but powerful book told through heartfelt and honest conversations of two men closely affiliated with Thich Nhat Hanh and Plum Village in France.

[Mariana Gonzalez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lei este libro porque amo el podcast de los autores y 10/10

[Leslie Rawls · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful

A handy guide and reminder of how to live fully in this precious moment. It was particularly helpful to have both a monastic and lay perspective.