Tibetan prayer flags over Los Angeles

Ananda (Dharma Buddhist Meditation), Dhr. Seven, Ashley Wells, Wisdom Quarterly

If only there were a group of Buddhist meditators that liked to hike, too (DBM/Pinterest).

They're cool because they're mystical.

Vajrayana, Himalayan (Nepalese, Bhutanese, Northern Indian), or Tibetan Buddhist flags are all the rage in North America.

One can hardly step anywhere outdoors without running into them.

As avid hikers around Los Angeles, we like to leave them flapping in the wind, sending prayerful wishes for enlightenment, peace, and kindness to all who wander by.

Mountain pass yakshas love colorful flags.

"Not all who wander are lost," particularly if they hike the peaks behind L.A.

But these flags are not free, and they're not as easy to make as one might imagine, unless there's a silkscreen machine laying around.

Some gauzy cloth, some India ink, and a penchant for Sanskrit in Tibetan or Nepalese script helps. But we found some on Amazon and now buy them by the box full.

They're all around the yard and treehouse. The one by the door always get a comment, like a psychedelic tie-dye tee-shirt would if it were half well done.

• Walking Stick Yoga with Seven and Ananda (Bridge to Nowhere Hike), Meetup, Los Angeles