Pop music phenomenon Jennie is freaking out a little bit. She always does before she begins her favorite wellness activity—cold plunging. “As much as I love it, I get scared every time,” the Blackpink singer tells Vogue in our newest installment of Well, Well, Well.
Today, the 28-year-old is preparing to dip into a tub, perched on a grassy lawn overlooking Los Angeles. “In Korea, the sauna culture is really big, so I would go to the sauna every single day. Doing the cold plunge right after was a natural thing for me,” she says.
That doesn’t mean that the bone-chilling practice—thought to reduce inflammation, improve circulation, and relieve stress—came easily. “The first time was a surprise,” Jennie admits with a laugh. “But instantly, I felt like the soreness and tightness of my body went away. And maybe because it was the first time, I had this instant boost in my mood and an overall emotional release.”
It wasn’t just beginner’s luck. Since her first frigid dip, Jennie has found that the practice is “like a reset button” for her body, and she can achieve it in less than five minutes a day. “I set an alarm for two minutes and thirty seconds,” she says. “When the alarm goes off and I’m still able to hold this coldness, I tell myself, let’s see how long I can do today.”
That’s not all the singer tells herself as she breathes through the tingles and pain the cold practice brings. “I often tell myself to toughen up,” she says. “I tell myself that this is something that I want to do, and it’s not for the pain, it’s for the release.” Every day, she challenges herself to withstand the cold for a few more seconds at a time—adding on five seconds here and ten seconds there. “Gradually your body learns to deal with this pain, and you feel so proud of yourself,” she smiles. After hopping out of the tub, Jennie takes a few deep, grounding breaths, wraps herself in a cozy towel, and does a well-deserved victory dance. “Immediately [after cold-plunging] you feel your blood flowing in your body, and you feel good,” she says. “You feel energetic. You feel ready to go!”
Over time, the practice has not just loosened up Jennie’s tight muscles; it’s also opened up her mind. “It taught me how to embrace tension and help me push through challenges, whether in my personal life or creatively,” she says. “It made me believe that I am tougher than I think I am.”
Director: Nina Ljeti
Director of Photography: Madeline Leach
Editors: Evan Allan, Katie Wolford
Producer: Chase Lewis
Associate Producer: Marisah Yazbek
Assistant Camera: Corey Cave
Gaffer: Bailey Clark
Audio: Paul Cornett
Production Assistant: Karla Rodriguez
On-Set Medic: Soren Stewart
Production Coordinator: Ava Kashar
Production Manager: Natasha Soto-Albors
Line Producer: Romeeka Powell
Senior Director, Production Management: Jessica Schier
Assistant Editor: Justin Symonds
Post Production Coordinator: Scout Alter
Supervising Editor: Erica DeLeo
Post Production Supervisor: Alexa Deutsch
Associate Director, Post Production: Nicholas Ascanio
Associate Talent Manager: Phoebe Dishner
Director, Content Production: Rahel Gebreyes
Senior Director, Digital Video: Romy van den Broeke
Senior Director, Programming: Linda Gittleson
VP, Video Programming: Thespena Guatieri
Special Thanks: IcePass, The Society Group
