The Miata is low and light, which makes it easy to lift but easy to damage if you jack it in the wrong spot. Lift at the proper points, always drop onto stands, and never trust a jack alone.
Reinforced lift points. Use the pinch welds at the factory jack points behind the front wheels and ahead of the rears. Slot a pinch-weld jack pad or a slotted hockey puck over the seam so you do not crush the flange. A bare jack cup will fold the pinch weld.
Central lift points. To raise a whole end, jack under the front subframe/crossmember or the differential at the rear, using a rubber pad to protect them. Do not lift on the oil pan, the sway bar, or floor sheet metal.
Get past the low nose. The front air dam clears many floor jacks by a hair. Roll the front tires up onto short ramps or a couple of 2x boards first, or use a low-profile jack, so the jack arm slides under without scraping the lip.
Always use stands. Once lifted, set jack stands under a solid point (subframe, control arm mount, or the pinch-weld pad) and lower the car onto them. A hydraulic jack can bleed down without warning; a stand cannot.
Chock and check. Leave the transmission in gear, set the parking brake, and chock the wheels still on the ground. Give the car a firm shove before you slide underneath. If it rocks off the stand, your placement is wrong.
Ramps for oil changes. For quick under-car work with the wheels on, drive-on ramps are fast and stable. Chock the rear wheels and leave it in gear. For anything wheel-off, stands are mandatory.