Sentence:  Elyse Saugstad, a professional skier, wore a backpack equipped with an air bag, a relatively new and expensive part of the arsenal that backcountry users increasingly carry to <WSD>ease</WSD> their minds and increase survival odds in case of an avalanche. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  To free (something) from pain, worry, agitation, etc.