For many patients and families, spiritual practices can help manage the stress of time spent in hospital. During smudging ceremonies, participants burn traditional, medicinal plants and waft the smoke over parts of the body as a spiritually cleansing ritual. It is a part of some, but not all, Indigenous cultures in Canada, and is practiced differently by different communities. It may be part of a patient’s everyday spiritual practices. Patients may also smudge when someone is born, when someone dies, or during a crisis.
In recognition of the importance of spiritual practices for healing, in 2018, The Ottawa Hospital implemented a program to accommodate smudging ceremonies for Indigenous patients and families. Although not a traditional ceremony of the Inuit people, some have adopted the practice and may also request a smudging ceremony.
Patients can request a smudging ceremony at any point, and the hospital provides designated indoor areas, patient rooms (in special circumstances), or outdoor spaces for the ceremony. The hospital can provide medicines for smudging — sage, sweetgrass, cedar, and tobacco — and liquid smudge when smoke cannot be used. Spiritual Care staff and a patient’s care team coordinate smudging requests and ensure all safety protocols are followed to prevent smoke and scent from impacting others.
