It could be. If one reaches a new state of consciousness in meditation, that can be interpreted as a spiritual experience. Which is a small step from religious.

No, not at all.

Not for me. It is all about relaxing physically and mentally and reducing anxiety

Historically it's tied to relgion as it was an arm of the tribe or state. The earliest instruction on meditation is in Hinduism. Buddhism has religious trappings, but Buddhism is essentially atheistic. The Greeks through Plato and Aristotle advanced philosophical contemplation and argument away from the trappings of religion, but it was coopted by the early church.

Not inherently. It's been widely hijacked by religion.

Aka relaxation ? Stopping the inner dialogue , now there's a tricky one

I don't think of it that way. I use it to relax, clear my head, feel a little better. I'm simply using breathing and positive thinking. There's no praying to anything involved.