Nancy Cooke de Herrera

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Nancy Cooke de Herrera (1922–2013) was a world-traveler, teacher of meditation, and author of two memoirs, All You Need Is Love and Never Tango with a Stranger. Born in California, de Herrera was appointed “US Ambassadress of Fashion,” as she gave presentations on American culture and fashion around the world on behalf of the State Department during the 1950s. Her travels led her to India, where she met Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the founder of Transcendental Meditation. She studied at his ashram alongside other visitors, including the Beatles and Mia Farrow. As Maharishi’s publicist, de Herrera spread his message of peace to the West and helped pioneer the highly influential 1960s spirituality movement in the United States. She went on to teach meditation to troubled youth, HIV/AIDS patients, and celebrities such as Madonna, Greta Garbo, and Lenny Kravitz.