There are often many questions about Yin Yoga and specific spinal conditions. Feel free to ask your question here, or check out other posts or contribute input from your own experience.
I have two students who have had back injuries from a long time ago (5-10 years). They both need to take it easy in stronger hip openers like dragon and swan (I normally get them to do these on their back) otherwise they experience tingling without the modification. I think they both have tightness in there lower back, glute and leg area.
One of them asked me which style of yoga might be best for this issue in the lower back other day and I was unsure.
I think any type of yoga would help, what do you think?
Before you or I can answer your students' questions we have to know their intentions. They are asking "what type of yoga is best" to which I would answer with another question "best to do what?" Are they seeking greater mobility in their spine, or better stability? Are they trying to get out of pain, or simply to avoid future pain? Are they functional in daily life, and in any sports they like to do, or at work? And, finally, what does their doctor/PT recommend?
Tightness in the lower back can have many causes and may even be protective and thus not something to be gotten rid of, at least not until the underly reason for it has been dealt with. My own personal philosophy regarding the spine is to first develop stability and then work on mobility. Stability usually involves strong core muscles (not just stomach muscles!) and yang forms of exercises are great for this. Once stability is achieved, then maybe some Yin Yoga will help improve flexibility. Mobility is more than just flexibility, however, and includes coordination and proprioception. Endurance is another factor to consider, which includes the endurance of their back muscles, but also overall endurance (the heart etc.) This comes from other yang forms of exercises. But, what are they really seeking?
Once we know their intentions we can begin to narrow in on what type of yoga or exercises will help them achieve those goals.
Yin Yoga may be okay for your wife, but there is no way to know before hand. A herniated disc may respond well to Yin Yoga but it may be exactly the wrong thing for it. It depends upon what her condition is, what type of herniation and its location. Flexion may be okay but not twists, or vice versa. I would ask her doctor for advice first. Maybe back bends are best?
I read the different posts here and as Bernie stressed, it all depends what kind of LBP it is. And what I have understood if you got a bulging disc, flexions like forward bend, is not to recommend. The advice would be to work to strengthen the back and to do extensions - backbands. I hope I got it right... as I got a friend with disc compressions (not sure if the advice would be the same as for bulging discs) and he wants to start doing something to get bettter and I would like to give him some advice. The doctor didn't have very much to say, just told him that he will live with this his whole life and that he just need to exercise.
Again, whether backbends will help your friend depends upon the type of disc compression. It may make it worse or it may make it better. If his doctor won't tell him, he should either find a different doctor or experiment, very gently at first. I don't like the doctor's negative forecast, however, as that could create a nocebo.
I highly recommend Stuart McGill's book A Gift of Injury! I am sure your friend will get a lot of inspiration and knowledge from it that may help him too.