Yogi: Is exerting strong effort the right effort required in the practice?

Sayadaw: Right effort is the four right efforts. They are designed to make the mind more wholesome. 

When it comes to the unwholesome mind, the effort is to prevent what is unwholesome from arising and to stop whatever has arisen from continuing.

For the wholesome mind, it is to arouse what has not arisen and to grow what is already present.

The four right efforts are designed to create more wholesome minds. So whatever effort you make in the practice, check that the wholesome mind is growing; if it creates the unwholesome, then that is not the right effort.

When we are aware of the awareness, all four right efforts are already happening (checking that could be interesting).