I was recently asked the following question:
Hello Bernie, I would like to ask a question about one of my student. She has an hernia on her abdomen near the navel. I would like to know which poses are recommended and which poses should absolutely be avoided. She doesn't feel pain but she's afraid to see her hernia more going out . I have looking for more informations on my books and on the net, but I've found only informations about discal hernia... Many thanks in advance for your precious advice. Warm regards Rosy
Hi Rosy
First question (always!) is - what does her doctor say? You and I are not doctors and we don't have x-ray vision. Knowing what your student should or shouldn't do is a medical question, not a yoga question. If the cause of the hernia is a separation in the fascia around the abdomen, I don't think that there is any yoga that can fix that. Surgery is usually required. However, in cases where the linea alba has separated (called diastasis rectus abdominis), a therapist named Diane Lee has had some success with exercise therapies.
In Yin Yoga we do not create strong muscular engagements, so I wouldn't worry too much about that, but backbends could stretch the hernial areas too much, so she might need to avoid those. She may need to avoid any breath retention or postures that create high inter-abdominal pressure, which could force the hernia “out, as you put it. But, again, best is to have her check with her doctor and see first the cause of her hernia and what the doctor recommends. Otherwise, you are left guessing at what might work, but is far from ideal.
Good luck!
Bernie