Bridging insights from both East and West, Murphy-Shigematsu provides a fresh way of looking at mindfulness that incorporates compassion, spirituality, and a concern for the greater good. The author's approach has been celebrated both in Japan and in the US.

As the mindfulness craze has spread in the West it's becoming too commercialized, intellectualized, and diluted. Mindfulness as stress-reducer and attention-enhancer keeps it on a purely cognitive level, missing the emotional, spiritual, and compassionate aspects that have traditionally been an integral part of the practice. In this book (a bestseller in Japan), Murphy-Shigematsu describes what he calls heartfulness, which returns mindfulness to its roots by adding seven additional elements:
-Attention as respect and deep listening
-Vulnerability as humility and courage
-Authenticity as genuineness
-Acceptance of things we cannot change
-Gratitude for what we receive
-Connectedness to ourselves, others, and the world
-Responsibility for ourselves and others