MS Awareness Week 2019 – Move it with Anisha for MS

Anisha Gangotra is an inclusive dance and Zumba instructor who has been teaching in Maidenhead (Berkshire) and High Wycombe (Buckinghamshire) since 2015. As part of MS Awareness Week 2019 (from 22nd-28th April) where the theme is ‘Move it for MS’, she has teamed up with the MS Trust to get people dancing. The MS Trust is a UK charity that works to support people affected by multiple sclerosis (MS), a degenerative neurological condition. Anisha is a member of the Chilterns MS Centre and has two sisters (one of whom is Trishna Bharadia, recently appointed patron of the Chilterns MS Centre) and a cousin living with MS so she is aware of how the condition can affect people both physically and mentally. On Wednesday 24th April at 12pm, the MS Trust will be streaming an inclusive dance class on their Facebook page where anyone can join in and follow along, either by yourself or with family, friends or colleagues.

Anisha has a passion for dance and inclusivity and welcomes students with disabilities and long-term conditions to dance alongside students without disabilities. Her students include those with MS, cerebral palsy, spinal cord injuries and amputees. Some of her students do the class in their wheelchairs. Anisha says, ‘My students tell me I’ve changed their lives by creating a space where they can dance, feel free and where there is no judgement – we’re all just people having a brilliant time dancing together! It’s also providing an opportunity for people from all walks of life to meet each other. We’ve created a truly unique and joyous atmosphere in these classes’.

Dance has always been a form of self-therapy for Anisha, who had to give up for a time after injuries sustained in a high speed car accident, which was not her fault, in 2011. Over time and following physiotherapy, she was able to start doing some forms of exercise as part of her rehabilitation. Dancing proved to be helpful in both her physical and mental rehabilitation, as she also suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, depression and anxiety as a result of the accident. Dance allowed her to do what she could at her own pace, something which she now stresses to the students in her own classes. Whatever your ability or whether you think you have two left feet, she truly believes that, no matter what, everyone can dance!

To follow along and get involved, go to the MS Trust’s Facebook page and don’t forget to tag #WorkoutWednesday, #MoveitforMS and @zumbawithanisha.

To find out more about Anisha’s classes, go to her website anisha.123.zumba.com and follow her on social media @zumbawithanisha.