Many scholars believe acupuncture predates recorded history, but it was not until 2015 that Noa Lynne Davis gave the city of Buda its first stand-alone acupuncture clinic.

Acupuncture is the insertion of small, stainless steel needles into points on the body, Davis said. It manipulates the fascial system, a layer of connected tissue made of collagen that supplies nerves to every muscle, bone and organ in the body.

“I love the effectiveness and how gentle it is,” she said. “There’s very few side effects and a lot of positivity to the treatment. I feel like people are not only getting healing, but they’re getting relaxation at the same time.”

Halfway through Chinese medical school, Davis said she began to envision what would later become Zoi Acupuncture. She began working on her business plan in 2013 and ended up rewriting it four times, she said.

“I knew I wanted it to be a place where you immediately felt relaxed when you walked in,” Davis said. “I was looking for the perfect place to open up, and I was going on faith.”

The first time she was on Main Street in Buda, Davis said she saw the Carrington House at 320 N. Main St., Buda, where Zoi would later open.

Within 18 months of opening, Zoi had outgrown its 400-square-foot space and relocated to 825 Main St., Buda, in November. The new location not only offers more space, but Davis was also able to design it herself, complete with space for a full herbal pharmacy, she said.

Before beginning acupuncture, Davis works with clients to create a treatment plan tailored to their health history. Davis said the treatments can help regulate hormones, aid digestion, boost the immune system and release endorphins that can reduce pain.

“Some people are referred here by their doctors,” Davis said. “Some people have come to the end of the rope, and it’s their last-ditch effort. Other people know it’s a gentler, more holistic way to deal with their issue, [or] they’re trying to avoid surgery or taking pharmaceutical medications.”

Davis said she hopes to grow her business into a fully integrated clinic by having a primary care physician on-site, offering bloodwork and clinical massage as well as more acupuncturists. In the next two years, she said she wants to open a second location in South or East Austin.

“[The best part about acupuncture is] everything,” she said. “It’s my dream job. I didn’t know it, but this is above and beyond. It’s the best job I could have ever imagined for myself.”