The retired NBA player formerly known as Ron Artest and Metta World Peace will share his anti-anxiety strategies Friday with families benched by the pandemic.
Metta Sandiford-Artest has filmed a two-part series for the YMCA-LA, “A Timeout is Good For Everybody,” available online at ymcala.org. It offers humor and relaxation tips for anyone feeling the strain of staying home.
In two fast-paced segments, Sandiford-Artest describes the coronavirus threat as a “full-court press — everyone is on edge.” The kids are “double-teaming you, begging you to let them go outside.” Before long, the 9-year-old has elbowed the 13-year-old, the dog is getting in on the action and, suddenly, “it’s a full-on brawl.”
Shown on the basketball court with clipboard in hand, Sandiford-Artest shares coping mechanisms for clawing back peace of mind during the pandemonium.
Sandiford-Artest, who last played in the NBA during the 2016-17 season with the Los Angeles Lakers and was a member of their 2009-10 NBA championship team, created the series for YMCA-LA to share the simple breathing and meditation techniques he uses in his own life.
“I feel at this point in time with COVID-19, it’s good to give back and I decided to reach out to the YMCA-LA because I saw they were doing great things,” said Sandiford-Artest, who announced earlier this month he had changed his name, combining his birth last name and his wife’s, Maya Sandiford.
“My daughter Sadie Artest volunteers at the YMCA-LA and she’s had an amazing time supporting the organization.”
Victor Dominguez, executive vice president and chief strategy officer of the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles, explained the importance of remaining calm.
“We believe maintaining your mental health is critical, and it’s even more important during these unusually stressful times,” he said. “These messages from Metta on how to defuse a stressful situation are timely and help bring awareness to mental health issues.”