The Rise and Fall of a Controversial Wellness Practice
In the early 2000s, wellness entrepreneur Nicole Daedone developed a practice she called "orgasmic meditation" (OM), combining elements of spirituality, mindfulness, and sexuality. This practice would eventually become the foundation of her company OneTaste, which gained significant attention and celebrity endorsements before collapsing in scandal.
From San Francisco Warehouse to National Phenomenon
OneTaste began operating from a San Francisco warehouse where practitioners lived communally, engaging in OM sessions throughout the day and night. The company expanded to multiple cities across the United States, including Austin and New York City, building a substantial following among those seeking alternative approaches to wellness and sexuality.
The practice attracted high-profile attention, with Gwyneth Paltrow promoting it on her podcast and actors including David Schwimmer, Orlando Bloom, and Brian Cox reportedly attending presentations. In 2017, Daedone sold OneTaste for $12 million, marking what appeared to be the peak of the company's success.
The Practice Behind the Controversy
Orgasmic meditation involves a structured, choreographed practice typically conducted between a man and a woman. During sessions, the woman lies on a "nest" of pillows and blankets, unclothed from the waist down with legs in a butterfly position. The "stroker" uses his left index finger to stroke a specific area of the woman's clitoris for exactly fifteen minutes while both participants meditate on bodily sensations.
Daedone described her first experience with a similar practice at a party, where a stranger offered to introduce her to the technique. "I couldn't hear anything after that because the tears just started flooding," she recalled in a 2011 TEDx Talk. "I had never been looked at or felt that kind of compassion before."
Celebrity Endorsements and Growing Influence
The New York Times featured Daedone and OneTaste in a 2009 article, highlighting her philosophy that women would not experience true freedom until they owned their sexuality. The company marketed OM as helping with stress resilience, emotional regulation, and creating "mystical experiences," though most research supporting these claims came from the company's own OM Foundation rather than independent studies.
Former practitioners reported engaging in multiple OM sessions daily, with some serious practitioners reportedly meditating four times or more each day. The practice was presented as "goalless," with no expectation of reciprocation or further contact between participants.
The Dark Turn: Investigations and Legal Consequences
In March of this year, Daedone was sentenced to federal prison after a judge determined she had used psychological, emotional, and financial coercion to force vulnerable women into sexual acts with company clients and investors. This ruling followed extensive investigations into OneTaste's leadership and practices.
The 2022 Netflix documentary "Orgasm Inc" explored the controversies surrounding the company, featuring former clients and teachers who described feeling pressured to participate in explicit demonstrations and accumulating substantial debt to pay for courses and retreats costing up to $60,000.
Expert Perspectives on Sexual Wellness Practices
Dr. Anouchka Grose, a London-based writer and psychoanalyst, notes that while practices combining spirituality and sexuality have historical precedents in traditions like Tantra, modern commercial versions raise significant concerns. "Many modern, western schools of tantra are similar to OM in that they try to make money out of confused, repressed subjects," Grose observes.
She emphasizes the importance of consent training in any sexual wellness practice, warning that group settings can create peer pressure leading participants to "do things they don't want to do because everyone else in the group seems alright with it."
Grose also offers a practical guideline for evaluating such practices: "One rule of thumb when exploring sex-positive spaces might be to ask: 'Is someone getting rich from this?' If the answer is yes, there's a distinct possibility that money is more important to the organizer than your wellbeing."
The Legacy of a Failed Wellness Movement
While Daedone aimed to remove shame surrounding sexuality, her methods ultimately led to criminal charges and imprisonment. The case highlights the complex intersection of wellness trends, sexual liberation movements, and commercial exploitation in modern society.
The story of OneTaste serves as a cautionary tale about how practices promising empowerment and healing can sometimes mask coercive and exploitative dynamics, particularly when substantial financial interests become involved in intimate aspects of human experience.
