A thoughtful, down - to - earth look at helpful ways to lessen human suffering.This book takes you on a lively, sometimes light - hearted, journey through nine Buddhist practices that can bring ''''blessed relief'''' to a wide range of human suffering - and teaches you skills to reduce suffering in the long term for yourself and others.The practices help you: Loosen the grip of sufferingEngage and question limiting views, thoughts and opinionsDeconstruct ten common assumptionsBe present in each momentSurvive emotional stormsDevelop peaceful communication skillsDeepen communication with your partnerAppreciate mortality and the preciousness of lifeCultivate compassionAs you read the chapters and engage in each practice, you will work with your own stories of suffering - stories in which you have felt abandoned, deprived, subjugated, defective, excluded or vulnerable - and you will learn how to release yourself from suffering by investigating it with curiosity and kindness.