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 absolutely loved the last course on Yoga Intl and am looking at 'Your spine, your yoga'. I teach yin and have been getting students with varied spinal issues.
I do so want to go deeper into yin as therapy -- both for the body and mind. In the past two months, I've had students with retrolisthesis, spondylolysis, (so easy to misread it as spondylosis--which happened). These aren't very common and so I learn every day, but I do so want to have a solid understanding in order to work with them.
Would you say this course would give me that deep understanding of the possible 'issues' of the spine and ways to create safe practices?
In short: no, this course won't give you the “deep understanding of the possible issues of the spine, but it does discuss how to create safe practices.
For the depth of knowledge you are seeking, you may want to enrol in university level courses. I don't think an 8-hour video will get you where you want to go. My book Your Spine, Your Yoga may be more helpful for you as it does go into more anatomical depth than the video.
Having said all that, hearing Prof McGill talk is always instructive and his series of exercises can be helpful to a wide variety of patients.
I believe that Yoga International will give you a $100 discount off the 50 hour course if you have already purchased the spine course. You may want to check into that with their help desk.