Moving to Mexico Made My Life Rich with Nadine Koster

Nadine Koster left Germany after high school to travel to New Zealand. it was there she met her future husband from Mexico.  They returned to their respective countries for a while. They lived in Germany and Canada before eventually settling in Isla Mujeres, Mexico with their two children.  Nadine's passion for healing led her to Tai Chi and Qi Gong - practices that are 100s and 1000s of years old, respectively.  She was nervous then she started teaching, but was clearly born to do it.  Nadine share's her journey, the tough parts and why she wouldn't change a thing. https://www.facebook.com/Taichiislamujeres-305187550002242

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Transcript

Welcome. You are listening to the Overseas Life Redesign podcast where you'll hear fine, relaxed and inspirational interviews with people who are really living the dream. I'm Dawn Fleming and attorney turned alchemist and your host for the show coming to you from the tropical island paradise of Isla Mujeres, Mexico. Listen to conversations with courageous souls who step out of their comfort zone and designed a new way of life. They'll share their experiences, wisdom, and offer practical steps you can take to redesign your life overseas. Listen, and you'll believe if you can dream it. You can achieve it.

Dawn Fleming

00:43 - 01:09

All right. Today I am with Nate Dean Koster and I have had the privilege of working with her for about two years in the practice of Tai-Chi. She's a Tai Chi instructor in addition to a mom and two beautiful children. And I don't want to steal her thunder and tell her story, but thank you so much maybe for taking the time to talk with me this afternoon. I know you're a really busy lady and I really appreciate it.

Nadine Koster

01:10 - 01:12

Thank you. Thank you for inviting me.

Dawn Fleming

01:13 - 01:18

Awesome. So you are originally from Germany, correct

Nadine Koster

01:19 - 01:20

That's right.

Dawn Fleming

01:21 - 01:25

Excellent. So why don't we start with, how did you end up in Mexico

Nadine Koster

01:26 - 02:33

Okay. That's a pretty funny story or interesting story. I started traveling after I finished high school and I made in New Zealand traveling for half a year. Wow. And I met my husband, which is now my husband by then. He was actually a hitchhiker and we spent three months there and you sealant. And then we both went our separate ways again. And we met again in Canada and we lived for half a year in Canada and worked there together. And then we became a CAPA and we ended up in Mexico because my husband is Mexican and he lives here on the coast already for 24 years now. So he brought me here and said, it's a beautiful place, especially for little children. And I saw it and I fell in love and I'm really happy that my children have the chance to be here and enjoy the ocean here. Wow.

Dawn Fleming

02:33 - 02:43

Oh, wow. So you have spent some time in some other places I've heard a New Zealand is just phenomenal. Did you, do you enjoy that

Nadine Koster

02:43 - 02:50

Oh yeah. It was really, really beautiful. It was a really special time in my life and I'm happy I did it.

Dawn Fleming

02:51 - 03:03

Okay, great. And then Canada for six months, I'm a little cold up there, but I know, Germany can get a little bit cold too. So how that, how was that experience did you, did you like having,

Nadine Koster

03:04 - 03:34

It was beautiful. I love Canada. It was all in all one year that I spent there. Okay. And, not a continuous half year and I came to Mexico and I went back and I worked there in different sections, but to me, Canada is really, really beautiful and Wyatt and that's for me as a German where everything is so structured, I was really happy to enjoy the Canadian life that is freer and more wired.

Dawn Fleming

03:35 - 03:38

Whereabouts in Canada, where you wasn't

Nadine Koster

03:38 - 03:50

In British Columbia, Vancouver, all the way to asylum Oliver and kind of there this area where it's a lot of fruits.

Dawn Fleming

03:51 - 04:11

Huh. Nice. So, what did you do, what was your first response when, when, you’re now husband said, oh, let's, let's move to Mexico where you a little bit, unsure about that or were you like, okay, let's go? Or what, how, how did that,

Nadine Koster

04:12 - 05:10

Requests I went already one time before to Mexico for half a year and I saw different places and yeah, I had a little cultural shock coming here, to be honest about certain things, but many things. I really love them. They're so friendly. So warm and welcoming here. And the country is big and wide and every B I really enjoy Mexico and I really liked the country. So for me, it was totally fine that we said we're going to stay here. And kind of, we made a decision, the decision together. We tried also to live together in Germany, but we didn't like that. So we came here because both of us feel really comfortable here, here we can do what we like to do. I'm a Thai tea and she'd gone instructor and he is a musician, a singer, and a guitar player. And yet that's possibly a here and we enjoy it a lot.

Dawn Fleming

05:12 - 05:15

Now, how long is it Have you been here on the island

Nadine Koster

05:16 - 05:19

All in all, I seen for five

Dawn Fleming

05:19 - 05:21

Years. Oh, wow. Okay. So,

Nadine Koster

05:22 - 05:27

So we're going off and on. It's difficult to say, but I would say all in all like four or five years.

 
Dawn Fleming

05:29 - 05:39

Okay. So you're, you're, you're in the groove now. Exactly. So, and was he originally from this area or another part of Mexico

Nadine Koster

05:41 - 05:51

He's from Mexico City. He came, he came 24 years ago. So by now, he lives more here than there. Okay.

Dawn Fleming

05:52 - 05:56

Did I take it He was with his family, then his family moved from Mexico City here?

Nadine Koster

05:57 - 06:01

His dad and his system moved also here to too,

Dawn Fleming

06:02 - 07:23

But the rest they stayed in Mexico City. Okay. All right. So he, he kind of grew up in this area really then if he came, he came exactly younger. Okay. So it was kind of, like a home, sort of feeling, here in the community. Nice. So, and I know you have, two beautiful children, the lovely Luna who was growing up so fast. So much, so much since I've got, got a chance to meet her. And, and then your little one who's, who's growing very fast as well. Tell me about, what that experience has been like.  you, I'm sure you probably know the term. I first learned it from, Alex Rafa who runs the canned next pat group. He called himself a third culture kid because his mom was French and his dad was Mexican, but he actually grew up in Europe. And so he's, you know, what they call a third culture kid. And so it sounds, you know, your, your children really are kind of that third culture right there. They're part German, they're Mexican, but they've, experienced different cultures as well.

Nadine Koster

07:24 - 08:21

Exactly. It's kind of sometimes a feeling that you don't really neither our right, but all in all, they speak three languages or the bigger one, the small one still doesn't speak. She speaks English, German, and Spanish, and she really got to feel the lifestyle of Germany and also the lifestyle of here. And she can choose what she likes. She really enjoys Mexico. She really likes the lifestyle here. She's now also going to school in Mexico. She started in Germany actually last year for one year, and now she's here in Mexico to learn the Spanish really propagate. And yeah, it's, it's another way of growing up. I grew up also not like that, but she has that privilege for the image.

Dawn Fleming

08:21 - 08:31

Yeah. I think it's, I think it's just wonderful. And, knowing Luna, I'm sure she just flows right with it. Right. I mean, she's such a free little spirit

Nadine Koster

08:32 - 08:44

Exactly. And made her so open to just talk to anybody, welcome anybody, play with any kids that she sees you three, it made her so open because she had to write

Dawn Fleming

08:45 - 09:13

Yeah. You really learn, tolerance and how to adapt. And it's, I think it's wonderful because kids are so naturally curious that I'm sure she was just a sponge and taking. Right. Right. So, and I haven't really spent time with your little boy is, how is he with your B it being your second Is he a similar personality or does he seem to be different You know, you can usually tell her

Nadine Koster

09:14 - 09:50

Totally he's different. He's more relaxed, more chilled out than Luna. I think I was more, more curious, really walking to strangers and stature intact with them. And suddenly she was invited for the supper and she was integrating into a family that you just made that she's really, really old. And he is also not shy, but I think a little bit calmer and quiet, but still really progressive. He's really doing all the time, some and over and over again.

Dawn Fleming

09:52 - 09:55

Oh, well, I'm sure you're having a lot of fun with him. It's

Nadine Koster

09:56 - 09:57

A blessing. So

Dawn Fleming

09:57 - 10:04

You, yeah, you left, you were gone for a year. Was it Nadine when you, you went to Germany to have the baby

Nadine Koster

10:05 - 10:09

Exactly. It was for nine months. We left for nine months, et cetera.

Dawn Fleming

10:09 - 10:14

Okay. And I, I don't think you were planning on being gone that long or, you know,

Nadine Koster

10:15 - 11:06

Actually none. I was planning to have the baby in Germany, but I was not planning to stay so long, but there was the Corona Panda me and here, everything was locked down and there was no more work. And it was really difficult to hear the times for the people on the island. So we decided just to stay a little longer and wait, wait, what's going to happen at a tourist coming back or not sure. So at the moment we saw yah, it is flowing again, the situation here, we kind of close the good in Germany because she also went to school and everything. So we had to sign up, I find a good timing to go. And then we decided, in the end, to come here when the baby was, nine months old. Yeah. Okay.

Dawn Fleming

11:07 - 11:30

And so after, you know, living in Mexico for quite a while and going back to Germany, w what was that like culturally, was it, did you have a little reverse culture shock going back to Germany after being in Mexico Or was it just, oh, you just, you know, like efficient water, you just go back into your home country, or how has that experience

Nadine Koster

11:32 - 12:41

I have to say that the first time I came to Germany after traveling so long, that was definitely a shock. How the bureaucracy, all the paperwork I had to do, all these, everything has progress. Everything has an order that was for me, definitely a shock after being here where everything just goes with a flow, let's say like that. Definitely, it was a little shock for me. Also, they're really kind of unfriendly in some way, a little bit, the Germans if they can say that, but then here in Mexico that people are just so friendly, they just smile at you for no reason. They say hi to you. And in Germany, everybody on their own planet doing their own thing. So it was really different. And for my husband, especially, it was really difficult to adjust to the weather or the kind of Sheryl that people got, but he had, he had spent some time there before.

Dawn Fleming

12:42 - 14:16

You said you had lived there for a little while, before Mexico, all in all. I think we spent two years in Germany coming and back. So he really, he took a German course. He liked the German appropriately. He knows what he's talking about. Good for him. Good for her. That's great. Well, that's, that's great. And then, and your family, how did they react to you living in Mexico, have they been here to visit they came already three times. Okay. And especially my father, he loves it happy, happy on the islands and my mom too. And, of course, they are really sad that we're so far away because it's a 12-hour flight, so it's not just so easy and high for the birthday or anything. Yeah. But they were here and they really liked it. And they're happy for us of course, too, that we can enjoy this beautiful place. Right. Oh, that's nice. are you able to get on zoom or, or, chat with them with technology now being able to stay Yeah, we, we talk almost every day just on WhatsApp weekly, or sometimes longer to see the kids and just stay in touch? Oh, that's nice. That makes it easier. Great. We'll be back in a moment.

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Dawn Fleming

16:12 - 16:40

I think I'm going to shift gears here a little bit and move over to a subject, which I know you're really excited about, which is the tight Yukon. Exactly. And so I'm, I'm really curious to know how that journey started and, and, for you to share some of what I have learned in the last couple of years in, the practice, being able to do the practice with you.

Nadine Koster

16:43 - 17:41

Yeah, it was actually, when I knew I would go back to Germany, I said when I was born and I knew I wanted to do something, right. I didn't want it to just stay in the house a, with a baby. I wanted to learn something. So I looked actually for yoga or Tai tea or Chico, and then I found this super, super good teacher, just five minutes from my house, from my parents’ house away. And then I was like, yeah, I'm gonna, I'm going to try it out. So I took like a three-month course with him and his mom actually was a teacher dude. And he grew up in a Charlie monastery. Wow. And he can do and Tai-Chi and she gone. So he is really one of the tops, top teachers there even teach us from Germany, from all over Germany, come to see him learn something new.

Nadine Koster

17:42 - 18:27

So he's three, a top teacher. And I went there and all in all, I learned with him for two years, every time I went to Germany, I kind of tried to take as many classes as I could and I made my certification in the end. And then I came to the island and I tried it out here. And actually, a lot of people liked it, especially people who are looking for a more gentle exercise and a holistic exercise because it's not just something good for the body. It's also good for your mind. Good for your energy and your soul. So it's really a complete exercise.

Dawn Fleming

18:29 - 18:57

Yeah. I, I would love to get your feedback. So people have asked me, I've said, oh, I, I do Tai Chi on Saturdays. Or, you know, whenever we have the live classes here and oh, well, you know, oh, do you like it Yeah. I love it. You know well, what's it like and I said, well, it's, it's kind of like a flowy yoga. I don't know. How, how do you describe Daiichi, to someone when they ask

 
Nadine Koster

18:58 - 19:57

Yeah. It's this could sometimes explain. Definitely. Yeah. It's like a flow in yoga or some people also say it's a Chinese yoga, especially the chigong is really, really ancient. It's several thousand years old and almost vanished for a while when the communists came to China because they didn't like it. So, but it's survived in the monasteries and now, again, it's really popular and it's, it's to cultivate, if you translate, she has gone, it's cultivating energy. So the idea is that we're not just body, not just mind, but also we have an energy body and we need to embrace that one because if you work with energy, you'll never wrong. So to embrace that part together with your mind and your body,

Dawn Fleming

19:58 - 20:55

Right. And, and I guess that's where the kind of the similarity with yoga is, right. Cause that's, that's the focus with yoga is the mind-body spirit. And I get that same philosophy through the Tai Chi, but, I dunno, I find it, I find take cheap. And probably too, because I've done it for so long. I don't have to think too much about what I'm doing. I just find it so much more relaxing. Yoga seems a little bit more like work when I've, I've done yoga before. Like you really have to concentrate and, and all of that. And it just seems like, I don't know, there is definitely a, different energy. And like I said, kind of that flowy, energy, and, you know, you always talk about the cheap and she got stuck and moving the cheese. And, and I, I really, I really get that. I really feel that.

Nadine Koster

20:57 - 22:13

Yeah, it's that, it's the idea of the chief exactly. That tight, she, or she going to hear it already in the word, it's another word for energy. And the belief is that when it gets stuck in your body, this is when pain comes to your body. And yeah, the difference a little bit to the yoga Desmond B is it's first is standing all the time. We don't need to lay down. Right. So big difference. And like you said, it's not this effort. You're not trying to bend yourself into positions and it's, it's a little bit more flowing, definitely. And especially for people who are handicapped or older or overweight, or for any reasons they have more difficulties to move, I would totally recommend that because it's super gentle on the giants and still, so strengthening mystery, gain muscles, you define your massive, you got a bigger grass and many, many other lots of physical benefits. So it's not just a holistic scene. It's really also a physical benefit of a bigger breath, more balanced, more flexible strains, a better immune system.

Dawn Fleming

22:16 - 22:28

Yeah. A lot, lot, a lot going on there for sure. So you did you start teaching here in Mexico or had you started teaching back in Germany before you left

Nadine Koster

22:29 - 22:52

I started here actually on the island. I came back out after I spent quite a while in Germany and I really wanted, to share my knowledge now and bring it to the people, bring healing to the world. Right. Because I think if we learn to heal ourselves, that's like one big step to here also the word.

Dawn Fleming

22:53 - 23:09

Yeah, for sure. And did you have, I don't know what your background was, you know, what you went to school for or work that you had done previously We didn't really talk about that, but, but were you involved in healing at all before Tai Chi or, or was that a,

Nadine Koster

23:10 - 23:41

I always hit a really, really big interest about healing and I tried different themes and I tried also the Reiki and other things, but the tighty and she'd gone really gave me a base to the regular exercise of doing it over and over again. And that had me relieved to get to the point where I can meditate and kind of turn off or on that healing, healing power.

Dawn Fleming

23:44 - 23:49

And were you, were you nervous to start teaching or, or are you just saying

Nadine Koster

23:50 - 24:08

I was really, really nervous. I even brought little notes that I made in case I forget every scene. I always really nervous, but actually there are two lovely women came the first time to my class and they were so nice to be. And I say, no, led girl, my nervous.

Dawn Fleming

24:09 - 24:35

Yeah. Well, you're, you seem like you're born to do it. I mean, the the way that you, approach the class, the way that you relate to the people and take the time to explain things and even when when people are new, it's just a, it's such a privilege to have you here as ours, our Tai Chi instructor. Is there a, is there a word for,

Nadine Koster

24:35 - 24:37

For the T instructor

Dawn Fleming

24:37 - 24:57

Instructor is Okay. All right. And I know, you sometimes we'll talk about, martial arts, a little bit, and there's some more connection, is that, have you, gotten done martial arts as well you have that in your background or just from the Tai Chi,

Nadine Koster

24:59 - 25:43

Just from the title, to be honest, I never really went into the martial arts. Okay. But now where I'm practicing Tai Chi, Tai Chi is a meditation and a martial arts, but in the Western world nowadays, we kind of make it more like a meditation, but actually if you get deeper into it and you will get, it explained also one more time, how each movement of those sequences is actually a martial art movement. You learn also a lot about stability, which is important, any kind of martial art, your foundation, how will you stand firm in your life Right. It's like whole progress.

Dawn Fleming

25:44 - 26:14

Sure, sure. No, it just seems like there's some, some natural overlap therewith, with Tai Chi and other forms. Cause I have never done martial arts before. So that's why I was curious to know if, if you had the background in that as well, but now it's, it's wonderful. It's, it's something I really look forward to is, are those classes well great. And then, I know your husband's, playing in a band and he, what kind of music does, does he play

Nadine Koster

26:15 - 26:20

Reagan music and he has a band and he's the senior and the detox.

Dawn Fleming

26:21 - 26:28

Okay. Wonderful. And he just didn't do they just play here on the island or, do they review

Nadine Koster

26:28 - 26:32

It is mainly in the giant.

Dawn Fleming

26:37 - 27:09

Sure. Well, well, we'll let you get out, back to him, Greg, Getting you. That's cute. Awesome. Well, no, I was just gonna say it, it's such an amazing life that you have created here in this little island paradise. And, I know you are, happy with, were you living and, what's happening with the children. The things that

Nadine Koster

27:10 - 27:25

Every place, every place has its benefits and every place has some negative sides. This is what it is everywhere in the world, but you need to be conscious about what is your priority and what is really important to you to make your choice.

Dawn Fleming

27:26 - 27:42

Absolutely. And, and I was going to ask you, I'd just, just close with this question is, is there anything that I didn't ask you that you'd like to share Anything, any words of wisdom or things you would have done differently or any kind of final words

Nadine Koster

27:43 - 28:18

Definitely. When you move to another country, to me, I thought it would be easier than it was in the end because it's a really big transformation, right us really you're in a country with another language, with another culture, with another everything. Even the food is different. So it's three if you live for a long time in another country, you're going to integrate it, integrate into it. And it's a big change in your life, but it can make your life so, so rich.

Dawn Fleming

28:19 - 28:36

Yeah. And I think that's, that's an important point and I'm glad you said that is a lot of times, you know, we see it all the time here, right Maybe in people come here on vacation, like, oh, wouldn't it be great to live here And you know, living here is definitely different than, vacationing here for sure.

Nadine Koster

28:36 - 29:29

Exactly. Yeah. Many people come with many, many dreams and you see many restaurants opening or little shops or businesses, and they just disappear after one or two seasons. Because like you said, one thing is to come for two weeks, then enjoy just really the the top part, which is just beautiful. Or you really get to know the country. And then for many people, it's also in Vietnam. No, I don't like it. Or I miss my family for different reasons. Sometimes people get sick. Sometimes people just miss their family sometimes also just economically it didn't work for them. But as, for example, also a lot of digital nomads, people who live online and they just can choose wherever they want to live. And that's, to be a really beautiful new thing that came with the internet,

Dawn Fleming

29:30 - 30:09

For sure. And also with COVID because now that's not unusual. Right I mean, people are, so it's a gift. We've all been given to be able to have that as a possibility for what we want to do for our livelihood. Well, thank you so much. I really appreciate your time this afternoon. As I said, I know you're a busy mama and, have a lot going on in your life and, it was really a privilege to, hear and share your story. Thank you so much for giving me the chance to share my story. Absolutely. We'll see what Tai Chi

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30:12 - 30:46

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