Arif-billah Hazrat Dr. Abdul Hayy Arifi ra said:

There is a physical puberty and similarly there is a spiritual puberty.
It is difficult to realize the exact timing of the physical puberty. However, it is the natural human phenomenon that a time comes when this stage is reached and functions associated with it start appearing. Similar is case with spiritual puberty.

Body needs food and nutrition for growth and development to reach the physical puberty.
In the same way spirit needs nutrition for its growth and eventual puberty.

What is this food & nutrition for the spirit?

It is being thoroughly steadfast on mustahabbat (recommendable), nawafil (optional extra) works and excessive zikir (rememberance) (i.e. after fulfilling faraiz, wajibat, sunun and abstaining from all sins to the best of one’s ability).
If these are provided, the spirit (batin) continues to nourish and grow. Eventually a stage is reached when the capabilities of heart and spirit are so developed that the Salik (traveler on the path of sulook) attains spiritual puberty. In other words it can be expressed as nisbat-e-batini (t’aluq ma’ Allah/Love of Allah swt) is achieved.
This bounty is a pure gift from Allah swt and is not dependent on salik’s own effort.

Shirkat e bazam munhasir un kay karam per hay magar
Meri jabeen to ho chuki waqaf e neyaz e sang e dar