This Muslim Bohri pole dancer is shattering conservative notions about women and pole dancing

Mumbai resident shares her journey from depression to self expression

Pole dancing is rarely considered a beautiful form of self-expression. Aarifa Bhinderwala, a 29-year-old Indian Bohri Muslim, shares her story of what pushed her to take up pole dancing and everything that followed.



A resident of Mumbai, Aarifa went to visit Australia and instinctively enrolled for pole dancing classes.

"I come from a Bohri Muslim family. My sister wears a hijaab. I obviously dress in a certain way. Not every person who is fully covered is conservative, not every person who is wearing skimpier clothes is broad minded," Aarifa shares in her Youtube video by Blush.

"I was suffering from severe pre-menstrual depression and I went to see how it was. The class began and it felt like a different world. It's very empowering because you can see what you're actually able to do with your body. If I have a best friend today I think it is my body because it went through sh*t and it still supported me."



"[Pole dancing] teaches you to be patient, it teaches you to work a bit hard, it teaches you perseverance, it teaches you to fall in love with the journey," she added.

Aarifa’s mother is supportive of her, saying, "If we are going to talk about women empowerment, first let’s liberate ourselves, our families and then talk about the world."

Aarifa added: "Pole for me is a lot like flying; it’s that feeling of letting go."

Her students include women of all sizes. For Aarifa, this means liberation and unlimited self-expression.

Watch the video here:

 


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