The Ritual Introduction

The Ritual — Episode 2 — Dr. Stephen Hochschuler

Episode 2 — Dr. Stephen Hochschuler Some people build careers. Dr. Stephen Hochschuler built an institution. A pioneering orthopedic surgeon, entrepreneur, and visionary in spinal medicine, Dr. Hochschuler co-founded the Texas Back Institute [https://texasback.com/] in 1978 — a practice that would grow into the largest freestanding spine specialty clinic in the United States. Educated at Columbia College and Harvard Medical School, he trained through some of the most demanding programs in American medicine before creating something the field had never truly seen before: a fully integrated approach to spine care. Prevention, ergonomic analysis, fellowship training, research, industrial back schools, and product innovation — all operating under one roof with a singular mission: improving the lives of patients suffering from spinal disease and chronic pain. The impact has been generational. The fellowship program he helped establish has trained more than 108 spine surgeons across the United States, extending his influence far beyond the walls of a single operating room. Dr. Hochschuler is also a founding member and past president of the International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery [https://isass.org/] and has played a leadership role across numerous medical technology and research organizations. Over the course of his career, he has helped launch multiple medical companies, advised emerging surgical innovators, and contributed to advancements that continue shaping the future of spine care today. As an author and educator, he helped bring complex spinal conditions into public understanding through landmark works including Back in Shape, Treat Your Back Without Surgery, and The Comprehensive Treatment of the Aging Spine — empowering millions of people to better understand their bodies and explore pathways beyond surgery alone. Even after decades at the forefront of medicine, his attention remains fixed on what comes next: biologics, regenerative therapies, telemedicine, and the future of neurological recovery. But beneath the titles, institutions, and accomplishments is something quieter — a lifelong commitment to helping people reclaim movement, dignity, and quality of life. Dr. Hochschuler is also a valued member of the Pure & Easy Tea community — someone who understands that wellness is rarely defined by a single breakthrough, but by the small disciplines and daily rituals that shape how we live. He chose Smooth.

The Ritual — Episode 1 — Dr. Jeremy Pruzin

Episode 1 — Dr. Jeremy Pruzin New to The Ritual? Start here → pureandeasytea.com/the-ritual Alzheimer's disease will affect one in three people over the age of 85. It has no cure. It erases the person before it takes the life. And for the families watching it happen — the slow disappearance of someone they love — it is one of the most devastating experiences a human being can endure. Dr. Jeremy Pruzin decided to spend his life fighting it. A behavioral neurologist and Associate Professor at the University of Arizona College of Medicine and Banner Alzheimer's Institute in Phoenix, Dr. Pruzin has been immersed in Alzheimer's research since before he entered medical school. While most medical students were focused on survival, he traveled to Medellín, Colombia to study families carrying a rare genetic mutation that guarantees early-onset Alzheimer's — some of the most heartbreaking and scientifically valuable research communities in the world. That experience shaped everything that followed. He completed his neurology residency at Rush University Medical Center, then pursued a fellowship at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and Massachusetts General Hospital — where he conducted research with the Harvard Aging Brain Study, one of the most important longitudinal studies of Alzheimer's pathology ever undertaken. During that time he was awarded the Alzheimer's Association Clinical Scientist Fellowship, one of the field's most competitive research honors. Today his work is centered on a powerful and hopeful idea: that Alzheimer's disease may be preventable — and that the window to act is not in old age, but in midlife, when lifestyle interventions carry the greatest potential to change the brain's future. Hypertension. Physical inactivity. Diabetes. These are not just health conditions. In Dr. Pruzin's research, they are modifiable risk factors — meaning they are within our control — and addressing them early may be among the most important things a person can do to protect their mind decades from now. He has been a principal investigator or subinvestigator on more than 30 clinical trials, including trials that led to the approval of the first anti-amyloid disease-modifying therapies in early Alzheimer's disease — a landmark moment in the history of the disease. His most recent work is backed by a $21.6 million NIH grant awarded to Banner Alzheimer's Institute. The study will analyze nearly 40,000 frozen blood samples from the landmark SPRINT trial — one of the largest hypertension studies ever conducted — to understand exactly how high blood pressure contributes to Alzheimer's risk at the molecular level. All findings will be made publicly available, creating one of the largest open research repositories of its kind in the world. Beyond the lab and the clinic, Dr. Pruzin founded the Preventing Alzheimer's Community — PACo — because he believes that science locked inside research papers helps no one. PACo translates cutting-edge findings into honest, practical, actionable guidance for everyday people who want to protect their brain health now. This is a man who has given his career, his curiosity, and his conviction to one of medicine's hardest problems. Not for recognition. Because the disease demands it. In this episode of The Ritual, Dr. Pruzin chose his tea, moved through the four movements, and for ten minutes set down the weight of all of it — and simply shared what matters most. Watch and find out what a man who fights Alzheimer's every day is grateful for. What he wants to release. And what he claims going forward. Learn more about Dr. Pruzin's work:Banner Alzheimer's Institute: bannerhealth.com/AlzheimersPreventing Alzheimer's Community: pacocommunity.com Because the ritual is the revolution.

The Ritual Introduction

Welcome to The Ritual. One guest. One cup of tea. Four questions. Ten minutes. Every episode, someone we truly find interesting sits down and moves through the same guided practice — live, unscripted, and unrepeatable. The guest's story lives in the episode write-up. The practice speaks for itself. Because the ritual is the revolution.

The Ritual Teaser

Welcome to The Ritual. A quiet space for reflection, gratitude, intention, and meaningful conversation. Each episode begins with a cup of tea and unfolds in real time — unfiltered, unhurried, and fully present. So wherever you are, take a breath, settle in, and join us for a few mindful moments together.